Data that is segmented and combined with headers that are then sent through a network.
These segments are reassembled into the original data when arriving at the end system.
Types
A Packet in each stage of Network Layer Encapsulation in the IP Protocol Stack is of different types, meaning it has different names and compositions.
I (and my notes) follow the naming scheme of Computer Networking: A Top Down Approach by Kurose & Ross:
- The Application Layer: Messages
- The Transport Layer: Segments
- The Network Layer: Datagrams
- The Link Layer: Frames
Wireshark naming
Wireshark, and possibly others, follow the following naming scheme for the different packets in the IP Protocol Stack and The OSI Model:
Examples
Packets in Wireshark’s Packet Details Pane
