What are 'jumbo frames' in Ethernet?

Jumbo frames refer to Ethernet frames that exceed the standard Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) size, which is typically set at 1500 bytes for standard Ethernet frames. These larger frames can be configured to carry more data in a single transmission, which can lead to improved network performance by reducing the overhead associated with sending multiple smaller frames. By enabling the use of jumbo frames, networks can reduce the number of packets that must be processed, which can enhance throughput and efficiency, particularly in high-bandwidth environments such as data centers or high-performance computing networks.

In practice, jumbo frames often have MTU sizes of 9000 bytes or more, though the specific size can vary depending on network configuration and devices involved. This is particularly beneficial for applications requiring the transfer of large amounts of data, as it minimizes the chances of congestion and improves overall data transmission efficiency.