Packet Sniffing

A piece of a packet. When a router is forwarding an IP packet to a network with a Maximum Transmission Unit smaller than the packet size, it is forced to break up that packet into multiple fragments. These fragments will be reassembled by the IP layer at the destination host. When a network receives a packet larger than its maximum allowable packet size, it breaks it up into two or more fragments. These fragments are each assigned a size (corresponding to the length of the fragment) and an offset (corresponding to the starting location of the fragment).
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A network communications process that protects the contents of protocol packets by encapsulating them in packets of another protocol. Technology enabling one network to send its data via another network’s connections. Tunneling works by encapsulating a network protocol within packets carried by the second network. The use of authentication and encryption to set up virtual private networks (VPNs).
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Highspeed switch that forwards packets between datalink segments. Most LAN switches forward traffic based on MAC addresses. This variety of LAN switch is sometimes called a frame switch. LAN switches are often categorized according to the method they use to forward traffic: cutthrough packet switching or storeandforward packet switching. Multilayer switches are an intelligent subset of LAN switches. Compare with multilayer switch. See also cutthrough packet switching, storeandforward packet switching.
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Any activity that results in a malicious user obtaining information about a network or the traffic over that network. A sniffer is often a packet-capturing program that duplicates the contents of packets traveling over the network medium into a file. Also referred to as a snooping attack.
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A type of DoS. A ping-of-death attack employs an oversized ping packet. Using special tools, an attacker can send numerous oversized ping packets to a victim. In many cases, when the victimized system attempts to process the packets, an error occurs, causing the system to freeze, crash, or reboot.
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