Arizona State University (ASU) CIS105 Computer Applications and Information Technology Midterm Practice Exam

The correct answer is that TCP/IP breaks files into packets for transmission. In the context of the TCP/IP protocol suite, a packet is a formatted unit of data carried by a packet-switched network. The process of breaking down files into packets is essential for managing network traffic efficiently, allowing data to be sent over the internet or any other network in a structured manner.

Each packet contains not only the payload data but also header information, which includes important routing details, such as the source and destination IP addresses and other control information. By assembling data into packets, the TCP/IP protocols can facilitate reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data, handling any necessary retransmissions if packets are lost or corrupted during transmission.

Other options, while related to data transmission, do not accurately describe the specific unit used by TCP/IP for this process. For example, frames are used at the data link layer and refer to data packets that are carried over a physical network, which is a different layer of networking. Bytes refer to a basic unit of digital information storage but do not encapsulate the concept of data transmission in packets. Segments pertain to TCP's method of breaking down data specifically for transport layer transmission but are not the term used exclusively in the