Fragmentation

Fragmentation in computer networks refers to the process of dividing a large IP packet into several smaller fragments. This may be necessary when a packet exceeds the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) of a network connection. With IPv4, fragmentation can be performed by routers or the sending system under certain conditions. In IPv6, routers do not fragment packets, meaning the sending system must account for the permitted packet size. The individual fragments are reassembled into the original packet at the destination. While fragmentation enables data transmission across networks with different MTU values, it introduces additional processing overhead and can affect network performance. Technologies such as Path MTU Discovery help avoid unnecessary fragmentation.