Packet

In computer networking, a packet, or data packet as it is often referred to, is a unit of data that is transmitted and switched to a packet mode computer network. A packet appears as a data communication that is coded as a sequence of binary digits that are both data and control signals. Data is formatted into packets to ensure that better sharing can occur between communication mediums than if the network were simply circuit switched. Packets consist of both control information and user data, and different communications protocols use different conventions for distinguishing between elements and formulating data.