IP Packet Format

TCP Packet Format

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a fundamental protocol in the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) family. It offers a dependable and organized data distribution between applications that are executed on several hosts in a network. The TCP packet format must be understood in order to analyze and resolve network communication issues. The TCP packet format will be thoroughly examined in this article, along with its many fields and their importance....

IP Packet Format

IP (Internet Protocol) packet structure is used for data transmission in computer networks. Data units received from the layer above are encapsulated in an IP packet, and additional header data is added. IP Payload is the term used to describe the enclosed data. All the information required to deliver the packet at the other end is in the IP header....

Key IP Packet Format Fields

Version (4 bits): This field contains a value in four bits which is 0100 generally. This value is utilized in distinguishing between IPv4 and IPv6, using four bits. Header Length (4 bits): This value is 4 bits in size and it represents how many 32-bit words are present in the IP header. In short it is also called as HE-LEN. Type of Service (TOS) (8 bits): This field mainly deals with the information about how the quality of the service is being delivered. The first 3 bits provides distinction and prioritization of IP packets depending on certain service needs, such as precedence, delay, throughput, dependability, and cost. Total Length (16 bits): The total length of the IP packet is stored in bytes. This value and the HE-LEN sums up to the value of the Payload. Identification (16 bits): This field gives a specific IP packet a distinctive identity. This helps to identify the fragments of the an IP Datagram Uniquely. Flags (3 bits): Contains control flags for packet fragmentation and reassembly, such as the “Don’t Fragment” and “More Fragments” flags. Fragment Offset (13 bits): After a packet is fragmented and put back together, this field contains the location of it inside the original packet. It represents the number of Data Bytes ahead of the particular fragment in the specific Datagram. Time to Live (TTL) (8 bits): This field specifies the total lifetime of the Data packet in the internet system. This field indicates how many hops (routers) an IP packet can make before being terminated. This values goes from 0-255. Protocol (8 bits): This IPv4 headerspecifies the type of transport layer protocol, such as TCP, UDP, or ICMP, to which the IP packet will be routed. For example, TCP is indicated by number 6 and UDP protocol us denoted by number 17. Header Checksum (16 bits): This is an error checking layer which is added to identity errors in the header. By comparing the IP header with its checksum for error detection, it ensures the IP header’s integrity. Source IP Address (32 bits): The IPv4 sender’s 32-bit address is represented by this value. Destination IP Address (32 bits): This value represents the 32-bit IP address of the intended recipient. Options (variable length): This field has options and parameters for security, record route, time stamp, etc. You can see that the End of Options, or EOL, usually marks the end of the list of options component....

FAQs on TCP/IP Packet Format

1. What make up a TCP/IP packet’s principal elements?...