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What is a data packet?
Best Answer
Excellent answer Thomas.
Of course one needs to understand the context of the discussion as well. If one is talking about an ethernet switch and their use of VLAN's to separate Data Packes from Voice Packets, there there is a very simple answer. Data packets carry everything that is not voice or video, such as database data, browser data, etc.
That might actually make for a great interview question...................
Great discussion of TCP/IP packets here with pictures.
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/networking/?p=668&tag=leftCol;post-668
Thanks for contributing your thoughts and insight gents. I appreciate your feedback.
This is in reference to the "importance" part of the question and is coming from a security perspective. Understanding data packets (and protocols for that matter) is at the core of implementing real and successful security solutions. If we strip out all of the nonsense, when it comes to infosec how can one protect something he/she really doesn't understand? At the heart of proper protection of information is an understanding of the lower levels of operation and structure. Data packets are one fundamental area in this arena.
A Packet data is a method of transferring data by breaking it up into small chunks called packets. Packet data is how most data travels over the Internet, and, in recent years, over cell phone networks as well.
With packet-switched data, each user only consumes network resources when they are actually transferring data. This is often superior to circuit-switched data, where an open data connection must be maintained, which uses network resources even when idle (like standard voice connections.)
Packet-switched is the more modern type, and usually faster.
In a mobile phone, data is used for functions involving the Internet, as well as most kinds of streaming video and audio.
There are many different types of packet data for mobile phones, with different maximum speeds.
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Great question. There are hundreds of types of data packets used for different applications because of their different origins such as communications, printing, control, etc. Ethernet, IP-Internet Protocol, TCP-Transmission Control Protocol, SCADA-Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (used in electrical power) and HDLC-Highlevel Data Link Control are just a few examples.
The core to any data packet is typically, but not always, a 1) start-bit or flag, 2) an address (where the packet is going to or coming from), 3) data (the information being sent), 4) error checking bits (just like it sounds a means to make sure data is correct) and 5) stop-bit or flag.
That's the simplest explanation of a data packet.
If you want to "see" all kinds of data packets and their use go to www.techtionary.com where there are explanation of the vast majority of data packets.