- If a layer receives a chunk of data too large for it, it fragments that data into pieces that it can manage.
- When the data reaches the destination, the ==destination system reassembles those fragments into a complete unit.==
- Fragmentation increases load on both the server and the client.
- Most systems set a maximum transmission unit (MTU), the largest size that can fit through the datalink layer.
- The upper layers of the stack respect this MTU, eliminating obvious problems.
- Older Ethernet has an MTU of 1500 bytes. Some 100Mbs Ethernet, and all gigabit and faster Ethernet, support 9000-byte “jumbo” frames.