What is MTU in Ethernet Frames?
In the context of Ethernet frames, MTU stands for Maximum Transmission Unit. It refers to the largest size, in bytes, that a packet can have for transmission across a network medium like Ethernet without needing to be fragmented.
As stated in the reference, MTU is usually associated with the Ethernet protocol. This means that when data is sent over an Ethernet network, there's a limit to how large each individual packet can be.
Specifically for standard Ethernet, the reference highlights that a 1500-byte packet is the largest allowed. This makes the typical MTU value for Ethernet 1500 bytes.
The reference also notes the role of transmission protocols like TCP, which utilize the MTU value to determine the maximum size of the packets they send, ensuring they don't exceed the network segment's limit.
Here are the key takeaways regarding MTU in Ethernet frames:
- What it stands for: Maximum Transmission Unit
- Where it applies: Typically associated with the Ethernet protocol.
- Typical size: 1500 bytes (the largest allowed packet size).
- Protocol usage: Used by protocols like TCP to size packets.
Understanding MTU is crucial because sending packets larger than the MTU requires fragmentation, which can introduce overhead and latency. Conversely, sending very small packets can be inefficient due to the fixed overhead size of each frame. The 1500-byte MTU for Ethernet represents a common standard size balancing these factors.
