Network Interface packet headers

At the Network Interface layer, packet headers are attached to outgoing data.

This illustration shows bi-directional data flow through the layers of the Network Interface Structure. From the top (software) they are the Network Layer, Network Interface Layer, Device Driver, and the (hardware) Network Adapter Card or Connection.

Packets are then sent through the network adapter to the appropriate network. Packets can pass through many gateways before reaching their destinations. At the destination network, the headers are stripped from the packets and the data is sent to the appropriate host.

The following section contains packet header information for several of the more common network interfaces.