What is the size of the IPv4 header checksum?

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Multiple Choice

What is the size of the IPv4 header checksum?

Explanation:
The IPv4 header checksum is a 16-bit field. It is used to verify the integrity of the header portion of the packet, not the payload. When calculating the checksum, all 16-bit words in the header are added using ones’ complement arithmetic with the checksum field set to zero, and then the ones’ complement of that sum is stored in the header. On reception, the receiver sums all 16-bit words in the header, including the transmitted checksum; if no corruption occurred, the total will be all 1s (0xFFFF). A 16-bit size provides effective error detection while keeping overhead reasonable, which is why the correct size is 16 bits.

The IPv4 header checksum is a 16-bit field. It is used to verify the integrity of the header portion of the packet, not the payload. When calculating the checksum, all 16-bit words in the header are added using ones’ complement arithmetic with the checksum field set to zero, and then the ones’ complement of that sum is stored in the header. On reception, the receiver sums all 16-bit words in the header, including the transmitted checksum; if no corruption occurred, the total will be all 1s (0xFFFF). A 16-bit size provides effective error detection while keeping overhead reasonable, which is why the correct size is 16 bits.

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