What is a packet?



The following diagram illustrates an e-mail message being sent across a network.

  1. Data that makes up an e-mail message is split into packets by the IP portion of TCP/IP.
    IP also adds header information to each packet.
  2. Using header information in the packets, routers determine the best path for each packet to take to its final destination.
  3. The TCP portion of TCP/IP reassembles the packets in the correct order and ensures that all packets have arrived undamaged.

[Diagram of e-mail message being broken into packets; packets being sent from router to router; and message being re-assembled at receiving end]



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