IPv4

Abstract

Chapter 3 deals with the implementation of the ICMP protocol in IPv4 and in IPv6. This chapter, which deals with the IPv4 protocol, shows how ICMP messages are used for reporting Internet protocol errors under certain circumstances. The IPv4 protocol (Internet Protocol version 4) is one of the core protocols of today’s standards-based Internet and routes most of the traffic on the Internet. The base definition is in RFC 791, “Internet Protocol,” from 1981. The IPv4 protocol provides an end-to-end connectivity between any two hosts. Another important function of the IP layer is forwarding packets (also called routing) and managing tables that store routing information. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss IPv4 routing. This chapter describes the IPv4 Linux implementation: receiving and sending IPv4 packets, including multicast packets, IPv4 forwarding, and handling IPv4 options. There are cases when the packet to be sent is bigger than the MTU of the outgoing interface; in such cases the packet should be fragmented into smaller fragments. When fragmented packets are received, they should be assembled into one big packet, which should be identical to the packet that was sent before it was fragmented. These are also important tasks of the IPv4 protocol discussed in this chapter.