MySQL Database Error: Packets larger than max_allowed_packet are not allowed - during insert

To set the max to 16MB for example, without requiring a restart, run:

SET GLOBAL max_allowed_packet = 16777216

How to fix this problem : change the value of the max_allowed_packet variable in the configuration of your MySQL server.

How to know how much over what's allowed you are : not sure, but I would say that checking the size (in bytes) or your insert query should give you an idea.

For more informations, you should take a look at the following section of the MySQL manual : C.5.2.10. Packet too large.