IP Header
This section reviews the IPv4 header. It describes the fields and compares them to the fields in the IPv6 header.
IPv4 Header Format
IP packets are carried over link-layer technologies such as Ethernet (10 Mbps), Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps), Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps), Frame Relay, and many others. Each link-layer technology family has its own link-layer frame that carries IP packets. As shown in Figure 2-1, an IP packet is carried between the frame header and frame trailer of a link-layer frame. An IP packet has two fundamental components:
IP header— The IP header contains many fields that are used by routers to forward the packet from network to network to a final destination. Fields within the IP header identify the sender, receiver, ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access