data packet
A data packet is a datagram located on the network layer. The term data packet is used in networks with data packet switching.
A data packet is a data frame with a predefined arrangement of data fields that is treated as a unit in data transmission networksand is used to transmit the user data between the sending and receiving stations. Each individual data packet consists of a header, the user data and the trailer, each of which is made up of a series of octets. The header of the data packet contains the address and control information, the transmission sequence, etc., and the trailer contains the error detection and error correction. The transmission is done octet by octet, starting with the Least Significant Bit( LSB) and ending with the Most Significant Bit( MSB).
A data packet can have a fixed or variable length, with the header and trailer having a fixed number of octets in their length; the payload, on the other hand, is variable for some protocols. However, the maximum length of a data packet is fixed. If each data packet contains the complete destination address, it is called a datagram. In a virtual connection, on the other hand, only the first data packet contains the complete address, while an assignment to the respective connection is noted in the following ones.