Software → Computer Networks
Network Encapsulation
The process of wrapping application data with headers and trailers as it moves down a network protocol stack.
Mental model
Each layer adds information needed for its responsibility. Application data becomes a transport segment, then an IP packet, then a link-layer frame.
At the receiver
The process is reversed through decapsulation, with each layer reading and removing its own metadata.
Debugging value
Understanding encapsulation helps explain MTU limits, ports, IP addresses, MAC addresses, and packet captures.