Editing Network layer (section)

==Fragmentation of Internet Protocol packets==
The network layer is responsible for [[IP fragmentation|fragmentation and reassembly]] for [[IPv4]] packets that are larger than the smallest [[Maximum Transmission Unit|MTU]] of all the intermediate links on the packet's path to its destination. It is the function of [[Router (computing)|router]]s to fragment packets if needed, and of [[Host (network)|host]]s to reassemble them if received.

Conversely, [[IPv6]] packets are not fragmented during forwarding, but the MTU supported by a specific path must still be established, to avoid [[packet loss]]. For this, [[Path MTU discovery]] is used between endpoints, which makes it part of the [[Transport layer]], instead of this layer.