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Circuit switching, packet switching
Circuit switching creates a dedicated, private line for a conversation, like an old-school telephone call. Packet switching breaks a message into small digital parcels, each finding its own way through the network, like the modern internet.
Need to know
What you need to know
- **Guaranteed Bandwidth:** The entire bandwidth of the circuit is available exclusively to the connection.
- **Low Latency & No Jitter:** Once the circuit is established, data flows continuously with a constant delay, making it ideal for real-time voice calls.
- **Inefficient Resource Use:** Bandwidth is wasted during silent periods in a conversation, as the channel remains reserved.
- **Connection Setup Delay:** There is a noticeable delay before communication can begin while the end-to-end path is being established.
Explanation
Dedicated Lines vs Digital Parcels
- In circuit switching, a dedicated, end-to-end physical connection (a circuit) is established before any data is sent.
- In packet switching, the message is broken down into smaller, manageable blocks called packets.
- Each packet is individually addressed and routed through the network, potentially taking different paths to the destination.
- At the destination, the packets are reassembled into the original message using sequence numbers contained in their headers.