jumbo frame
also: 9K frames, giant frames, baby giant frames
A network frame larger than the standard 1500-byte Ethernet maximum transmission unit (MTU), typically 9000 bytes, used to improve throughput on high-speed local networks.
A jumbo frame is an Ethernet frame that exceeds the standard MTU of 1500 bytes, commonly set to 9000 bytes (also called 9K jumbo frames). By carrying more data per frame, jumbo frames reduce the overhead of frame headers and checksums, improving throughput on local area networks.
Jumbo frames are most beneficial on high-speed networks (10 Gbps and above) and are commonly used in data center environments, storage area networks (SANs), and clusters where hosts are directly connected or on the same LAN segment. They require end-to-end support—both the network interface cards and all switches in the path must be configured for the same MTU.
To enable jumbo frames on a Linux interface, use: ip link set dev eth0 mtu 9000. However, jumbo frames can cause problems if not supported across the entire network path, resulting in packet fragmentation or dropped frames.