Http Packets

For networking purposes, a packet is a formatted block of data carried by a packet carrying network. A packet is a block of data with length that can vary between successive packets, ranging from 7 to 65,542 bytes. As opposed to a non packet network where information is transmitted in bits and bytes, data is formatted into a packet. This allows the network to transmit long messages in a more effective manner. HTTP packets are most commonly used for purposes relating to transferring information on the internet.

A packet is composed of control information and user data. The control information of the packet is what is used to determine the networking information. A typical packet's control information will include source and destination addresses, error detection codes, and sequencing information. The control information in a packet is usually located in a packet's header or trailer section of information. As far as error detection is concerned, it has been proven to be more efficient and reliable to check for a checksum or cyclic redundancy over the contents of a packet. Most of the error detection information for packets is located in the packet's trailer section. Packetized data is transmitted in shifts called frames. Frames are data blocks that consist of an equal amount of size per block. The size of a frame can be up to 2048 bytes. Packet sizes are fixed into a permanent state during the development phase of the networking protocol.

Packet Switching is a networking communication method in which multiple packets are routed between multiple nodes over a network shared with other traffic. On this network, packets are queued or buffered. The most well-known use of packet switching is the internet and LAN's. The Internet uses IP protocol over a variety of data link layers.