Example Concept: The MTU defines the maximum packet size that can be transmitted over a network link without fragmentation. When a packet exceeds the MTU size, it is fragmented into smaller packets, which can lead to increased overhead and potential performance degradation. On high-throughput links, setting an appropriate MTU size helps maintain efficient data flow by minimizing fragmentation. For instance, a standard Ethernet MTU is 1500 bytes, but adjusting it to match the capabilities of the link (e.g., using jumbo frames with an MTU of 9000 bytes on a gigabit network) can enhance performance by reducing the number of packets and associated headers.