Datagram

A datagram is a basic unit of data sent over a network in a packet. Think of it as a digital letter with a header containing destination and sender information, and a body with the actual message or data. It travels independently through the network, often taking different paths to reach its destination. The concept is fundamental to connectionless communication protocols like IP, where each datagram is self-contained and can arrive out of order or separately. This method allows for flexible, efficient data transmission without requiring the sender and receiver to establish a dedicated connection beforehand.