Packet

Packet

A packet is a small segment of a larger message data that is sent over a network. Packets are used to divide up a message into smaller pieces to make transmission over the network more manageable. Each packet contains a portion of the payload (the data that needs to be transmitted), a header (which contains information like the source and destination of the packet), and sometimes a footer.

Overview

In computer networking, a packet is a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network. Computer communications links that do not support packets, such as traditional point-to-point telecommunications links, simply transmit data as a series of bytes, characters, or bits alone. When data is formatted into packets, the bitrate of the communication medium can be better shared among users than if the network were circuit-switched.

Packet Structure

A packet consists of two kinds of data: control information and user data (also known as payload). The control information provides data the network needs to deliver the user data, for example: source and destination network addresses, error detection codes, and sequencing information. Typically, control information is found in packet headers and trailers.

Packet Switching

Packet Switching is the process of segmenting a message/data into packets before transmission. Each packet is then transmitted individually and can even follow different routes to its destination. Once all the packets forming a message arrive at the destination, they are recompiled into the original message.

See Also

• Data Packet
• Network Packet
• Packet Loss
• Packet Sniffing
• Packet Switching

References

Packet Resources
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