Meaning – The term data packet, refers to the unit of data that is grouped together, to form a packet, and then transmitted along a designated path.
The data packets so formed, are used in the transmission of data that is generated during web browsing sessions and other similar network applications.
Along with the raw data itself, the data packet consists of various other elements such as headers that contain metadata relating to the data that is being carried, as well as specific routing information for the data being transmitted.
A data packet has also popularly referred to as the fundamental unit of communication over a digital network. When data has to be transmitted, it is broken down into similar structures of data before transmission, called packets, which are reassembled to the original data chunk once they reach their destination.
Example of usage – “IP data packets have a header containing an IP address of origin and destination IP address.”
