What is Packet?
Packet Definition: Representation of data at Layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection OSI model.
Understanding Packet
Representation of data at Layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection OSI model. A packet is a formatted unit of data carried by network protocols at the network layer Layer 3. It consists of control information headers containing addressing and routing data and payload the actual user data. Packets are the fundamental units for routing data across networks. Packet specifications are defined in protocol standards like IP RFC 791 and various networking RFCs. Organizations secure packets through traffic filtering deep packet inspection encryption of packet payloads and monitoring for malicious packet patterns. For example a network security team might implement deep packet inspection at network boundaries to analyze packet contents for signs of attacks or data exfiltration while using VPN technologies to encrypt packet payloads when traversing untrusted networks. Related terms Network layer IP Header Payload Packet switching Packet filtering Fragmentation MTU.