In data communications networks,
packet segmentation is the process of dividing a data packet into smaller units for transmission over the network. Packet segmentation happens at layer four of the OSI model or the
transport layer. Segmentation may be required when:
- The data packet is larger than the maximum transmission unit supported by the network
- The network is unreliable and it's desirable to divide the information into smaller segments to maximize the probability that each one of them can be delivered correctly to the destination