Packet
A unit of data formatted for transmission over a network, containing header information and payload.
Also: datagram · frame
Definition
A packet is a small unit of data transmitted over a network. When data is sent over the internet, it is broken into smaller packets, each containing a header (with source and destination IP addresses, packet number, and protocol information) and a payload (the actual data). Packets may travel different routes and arrive out of order, but protocols like TCP reassemble them in the correct sequence at the destination. Packet-switched networks are more efficient than circuit-switched networks.
Example
“Sending a 10 MB email attachment involves breaking it into thousands of packets, each routed independently and reassembled by the recipient's mail server.”
Synonyms
- data frame
- network datagram
- data unit
- network segment
Images
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Related Terms
- tcp-ip
- network-protocol
- packet-loss
- mtu