A method for receiving a data packet by a receiving apparatus in a multimedia system, the method comprising: receiving the data packet including a payload header and a payload, the payload including a fragment split from a data unit or a complete data unit; obtaining, from the payload header included in the received data packet, a fragment indicator and a fragment counter, wherein the fragment counter indicates a number of payloads containing remaining fragments of the data unit, the payloads subsequent to the payload of the received data packet, wherein the fragment indicator includes one of a first value indicating that the payload includes the complete data unit, a second value indicating that the payload includes a first fragment of the data unit, a third value indicating that the payload includes a mid fragment of the data unit that is neither the first fragment nor a last fragment of the data unit, and a fourth value indicating that the payload includes the last fragment of the data unit; and identifying that the fragment counter is to be rolled-over and re-used for counting the number of the payloads contained in at least one subsequent data packet to follow, in a case that the fragment indicator includes the third value indicating that the payload includes the mid fragment of the data unit that is neither the first fragment nor the last fragment, and the fragment counter is '0', wherein a total number of fragments of the data unit is larger than a maximum number representable by the fragment counter, and wherein the fragment counter is sequentially reduced by one from the maximum number to '0' for each of the payloads. receiving the data packet including a payload header and a payload, the payload including a fragment split from a data unit or a complete data unit; obtaining, from the payload header included in the received data packet, a fragment indicator and a fragment counter, wherein the fragment counter indicates a number of payloads containing remaining fragments of the data unit, the payloads subsequent to the payload of the received data packet, wherein the fragment indicator includes one of a first value indicating that the payload includes the complete data unit, a second value indicating that the payload includes a first fragment of the data unit, a third value indicating that the payload includes a mid fragment of the data unit that is neither the first fragment nor a last fragment of the data unit, and a fourth value indicating that the payload includes the last fragment of the data unit; and identifying that the fragment counter is to be rolled-over and re-used for counting the number of the payloads contained in at least one subsequent data packet to follow, in a case that the fragment indicator includes the third value indicating that the payload includes the mid fragment of the data unit that is neither the first fragment nor the last fragment, and the fragment counter is '0', wherein a total number of fragments of the data unit is larger than a maximum number representable by the fragment counter, and wherein the fragment counter is sequentially reduced by one from the maximum number to '0' for each of the payloads.