Packet Switching

COMP1260 > Understanding the Internet

Introduction Have you ever think how Internet sends information to other users? Packet switching is a way of sending and receiving informations from the Internet. There exists other ways of sending informations as Circuit Switching. Packet switching refers to protocols in which information or message are broken up into small packets before sending off. Each packet would be send individually across the net, not necessary in the same routine. Packet has a maximum length to prevent delays. Once all the packets forming a messages arrives, they are recompiled and build up to the original message. How does it work? Think you have made a jigsaw puzzle. You are sending each piece of puzzle to all your classmates you had in early childhood with a message that has the date, time and place to meet. Your goal is to gather all your classmates and construct the puzzle with everyone. Package Switching works in the same way. The message would be packaged and send to the destination. This packages doesn't need to go through the same roads. As all the packets necessary to construct the message arrives to its destination, packets are reassembled into original message.

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Circuit-switching vs Package-switching

Circuit-switching is another form of protocol which sends message to others. It is normally used in telephone communications. Circuit-switching is quicker then package-switching, but circuit-switching needs data to be send in order and in the same time. Package-switching is more efficient and robust, and can withdraw some days in transmitting. For that, package-switching is better used in e-mails and website, where circuit-switching is more based for real-time data transmition.

Image of Package Switching

Image of Circuit Switching

References

• Wikipedia
• Shiri Chechik, Adi Gati Protocols and Computer Networks Course at Tel Aviv University
• The Linux Information ProjectPacket Switching DefinitionNovember 4, 2005.

Example?

• packet_switching

This is a flash demonstration.

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