What happens when TTL reaches 0 before the packet reaches its destination?

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Prepare for the UCF CIS3360 Security in Computing Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with detailed hints and explanations to boost your understanding and readiness. Start today and succeed!

When the Time to Live (TTL) value of a packet reaches zero before the packet arrives at its intended destination, an ICMP time exceeded message is generated and sent back to the sender of the original packet.

The purpose of TTL is to prevent packets from circulating indefinitely in the network due to routing errors or loops. Each time a packet is forwarded by a router, the TTL value is decremented by one. When it reaches zero, it indicates that the packet has traversed too many hops and should not be allowed to continue further.

The ICMP time exceeded message serves to notify the sender that their packet could not reach the destination because it expired due to TTL reaching zero. This feedback can help the sender manage or correct routing policies or diagnose network issues.

The other options do not accurately describe the behavior that occurs when the TTL reaches zero.