After the Network Access Layer processes the IP packet, what are the packets called?

When the Network Access Layer processes an IP packet, it encapsulates that packet into a new structure suitable for transmission over the physical medium. This encapsulation is necessary because the data needs to be formatted into a specific structure that is compatible with the networking technology being used, such as Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

At this stage, the individual packets are called frames. A frame includes not just the data payload (the original IP packet) but also additional information needed for the transmission, such as hardware addresses, error detection codes, and control information that assist in the delivery of the data across the network.

Understanding the terminology used at different layers of the OSI model is crucial for grasping how data is transmitted across networks. The term "frames" specifically refers to the data structure used at the Data Link layer (which is where the Network Access Layer operates), distinguishing them from terms like "segments" that are used at the Transport layer or "datagrams" that refer to the encapsulated packet at the Network layer.