During what process is an IP packet analyzed to determine its route?

The process of analyzing an IP packet to determine its route is known as routing. This involves examining the packet's header, where the destination IP address is located, and then utilizing routing tables and algorithms to decide the best path for the packet to take across the network. Routers play a critical role in this process, as they make decisions based on their routing tables and can facilitate the movement of packets from one network to another efficiently.

Routing occurs before forwarding, which is the process where the packet is actually passed to the next hop towards its destination based on the routing decision made. Segmentation deals with breaking down larger messages into smaller packets to fit a network's maximum transmission unit, and encapsulation involves wrapping the data in protocol-specific headers and trailers. Thus, routing is specifically concerned with the logical paths and decisions needed to navigate packets through a complex network environment.