?How does the Internet Protocol work?

What will be an ideal response?

The Internet Protocol (IP) provides a connectionless data transfer service over heterogeneous networks by passing and routing IP datagrams. IP datagram is essentially another name for a data packet. To be passed and routed on the Internet, all IP datagrams or packets that are passed down from the transport layer to the network layer are encapsulated with an IP header that contains the information necessary to transmit the packet from one network to another. The format of this header will be explained in the next few paragraphs.?Consider the example of a workstation performing a network operation such as sending an e-mail message to a distant workstation. Suppose both workstations are on local area networks, and the two local area networks are connected via a wide area network. As the local workstation sends the e-mail packet down through the layers of the first internal network, the IP header is encapsulated over the transport layer packet, creating the IP datagram. The appropriate MAC layer headers are encapsulated over the IP datagram, creating a frame, and this frame is sent through LAN 1 to the first router. Because the router interfaces LAN 1 to a wide area network, the MAC layer information is stripped off, leaving the IP datagram. At this time, the router may use any or all of the IP information to perform the necessary internetworking functions. The necessary wide area network level information is applied, and the packet is sent over the WAN to Router 2. When the packet arrives at the second router, the wide area network information is stripped off, once again leaving the IP datagram. The appropriate MAC layer information is then applied for transfer of the frame over LAN 2, and the frame is transmitted. Upon arrival at the remote workstation, all header information is removed, leaving the original data.