Sent by a router when it cannot deliver an IP datagram. A
datagram is the unit of data, or packet, transmitted in a TCP/IP network.
Source Quench
Sent by a host or router if it is receiving data too quickly for
it to handle. The message is a request that the source reduce its rate of
datagram transmission.
Time Exceeded
Sent by a router if the datagram has reached the maximum limit of
routers through which it can travel.
Parameter Problem
Sent by a router if a problem occurs during the transmission of a
datagram such that it cannot complete processing. One potential source of such
a problem is invalid datagram header.
Network troubleshooting
Echo Request,
Echo Reply
Used to test destination accessibility and status. A host sends
an
Echo Request and listens for a corresponding
Echo Reply. This is most commonly done using
the
ping command.
IPv4 network address and routing configuration
Redirect
Sent by a router if it receives a datagram that should have been
sent to a different router. The message contains the address to which the
source should direct future datagrams. This is used to optimize the routing of
network traffic.
Router Advertisement,
Router Solicitation
Allow hosts to discover the existence of routers. Routers
periodically broadcast their IP addresses via
Router Advertisement messages. Hosts may
also request a router address by broadcasting a
Router Solicitation message to which a
router will reply with a
Router Advertisement.
Timestamp Request,
Timestamp Reply
Used to synchronize the clocks between hosts and to estimate
transit time.
Information Request,
Information Reply
Obsolete. These messages were used earlier by hosts to determine
their inter-network addresses, but are now considered outdated and should not
be used.
Address Mask Request,
Address Mask Reply
Used to find the mask of the subnet (i.e. what address bits
define the network). A host sends an
Address Mask Request to a router and
receives an
Address Mask Reply in return.
