Data Communication Network

UNIT :1

1.Components of Data Communication System

Data Communication is defined as exchange of data between two devices
via some form of transmission media such as a cable, wire or it can be air
or vacuum also. For occurrence of data communication, communicating
devices must be a part of communication system made up of a
combination of hardware or software devices and programs.

Data Communication System Components :

There are mainly five components of a data communication system:
1. Message
2. Sender
3. Receiver
4. Transmission Medium
5. Set of rules (Protocol)
All above mentioned elements are described below:

Figure – Components of Data Communication System

1. Message :
This is most useful asset of a data communication system. The
message simply refers to data or piece of information which is to
be communicated. A message could be in any form, it may be in
form of a text file, an audio file, a video file, etc.
2. Sender :
To transfer message from source to destination, someone must
 be there who will play role of a source. Sender plays part of a
source in data communication system. It is simple a device that
sends data message. The device could be in form of a computer,
mobile, telephone, laptop, video camera, or a workstation, etc.
3. Receiver :
It is destination where finally message sent by source has arrived.
It is a device that receives message. Same as sender, receiver
can also be in form of a computer, telephone mobile, workstation,
etc.
4. Transmission Medium :
In entire process of data communication, there must be something
which could act as a bridge between sender and receiver,
Transmission medium plays that part. It is physical path by which
data or message travels from sender to receiver. Transmission
medium could be guided (with wires) or unguided (without wires),
for example, twisted pair cable, fiber optic cable, radio waves,
microwaves, etc.
5. Set of rules (Protocol) :
To govern data communications, various sets of rules had been
already designed by the designers of the communication systems,
which represent a kind of agreement between communicating
devices. These are defined as protocol. In simple terms, the
protocol is a set of rules that govern data communication. If two
different devices are connected but there is no protocol among
them, there would not be any kind of communication between
those two devices. Thus the protocol is necessary for data
communication to take place.

2.Network Architecture :-
Computer networks are usually developed to fulfil needs of their clients and
users. Network architecture generally refers to design of computer network or
communications network. It simply describes allocation task between all of
computers in network.
It is simply way in which all network devices and services are organized and
managed to connect clients like laptops, tablets, servers, etc. and also how
tasks are allocated to computer.
It also facilitates system-level functionality even robustness, extensibility, and
evolvability. It is basically defined and described as physical and logical
design of software, hardware, protocols, and media of data
transmission. Classification of Network based on use of computer nodes
: Network architecture is classified into following categories :
❖ Peer to Peer networks :-
• Peer network provides basic connectivity between computers but does
not set apart any central computer as a server or provide many of the
security features of a centralized client-server network.
• Peer networks do not centralize data on servers; rather, they connect
individual Computers for purposes of file sharing and e-mails.
• Peer Networks are defined by the absence of the server on a network.
There is no control over the network Users simply share disk space and
other resources Such as printers and faxes.
• Peer networks are organized into workgroups. Workgroups have very little
security control. There is no central login process.

• Access to individual resources can be controlled it the user who shared the
resource requires a password to access it. Peers are not optimized to share
resources Generally, when of users accessing the resource increases, there
is definitely degradation in performance of a peer.
Advantages

1.Easy setup
2.No network administrator
3.No extra cost of server
4.Users can control resource sharing
5.Lower cost for small networks.

Disadvantages

1.Extra load on computers due to resource sharing.

 2. Many network connections (resource sharing requests) are difficult to
handle.
3.Lack of central organization, which makes data hard to find.
4. No control point of storage for file archiving.
5.peers need to administer their own computers
6.Weak and intrusive security.

❖ Client Serve Network :-

o Client/Server network is a network model designed for the end users called
clients, to access the resources such as songs, video, etc. from a central
computer known as Server.

o The central controller is known as a server while all other computers in the
network are called clients.

o A server performs all the major operations such as security and network
management.

o A server is responsible for managing all the resources such as files, directories,
printer, etc.

o All the clients communicate with each other through a server. For example, if
client1 wants to send some data to client 2, then it first sends the request to
the server for the permission. The server sends the response to the client 1 to
initiate its communication with the client 2.

Advantages Of Client/Server network:

o A Client/Server network contains the centralized system. Therefore we can
back up the data easily.

o A Client/Server network has a dedicated server that improves the overall

performance of the whole system.

o Security is better in Client/Server network as a single server administers the

shared resources.
 o It also increases the speed of the sharing resources.

Disadvantages Of Client/Server network:

o Client/Server network is expensive as it requires the server with large memory.

o A server has a Network Operating System(NOS) to provide the resources to

the clients, but the cost of NOS is very high.

o It requires a dedicated network administrator to manage all the resources.

❖ Categories Of Network :

A computer network is a cluster of computers over a shared communication

path that works to share resources from one computer to another, provided
by or located on the network nodes. A computer network is a group of
computers linked to each other that enables the computer to communicate
with another computer and share their resources, data, and applications.
computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is
mainly of four types:

o LAN(Local Area Network)

o PAN(Personal Area Network)

o MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)

o WAN(Wide Area Network)

• Local Area Network (LAN)

o LAN is the most frequently used network. A LAN is a computer

network that connects computers through a common
communication path, contained within a limited area, that is,
locally.

o A LAN encompasses two or more computers connected over a

server. The two important technologies involved in this
network are Ethernet and Wi-fi.

o It ranges up to 2km & transmission speed is very high with

easy maintenance and low cost.

o LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers

through a communication medium such as twisted pair, coaxial
cable, etc.

o It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as

hubs, network adapters, and ethernet cables.

o The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area

Network.

o Local Area Network provides higher security.

o Examples of LAN are networking in a home, school, library,

laboratory, college, office, etc

• Personal Area Network (PAN)

 o PAN is the most basic type of computer network. This network is
restrained to a single person, that is, communication between the
computer devices is centered only on an individual’s workspace. PAN
offers a network range of 1 to 100 meters from person to device
providing communication. Its transmission speed is very high with
very easy maintenance and very low cost.

o This uses Bluetooth, IrDA, and Zigbee as technology.

o Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual

person, typically within a range of 10 meters.

o Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of

personal use is known as Personal Area Network.

o Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of

the Personal Area Network.

o Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.

o Examples of PAN are USB, computer, phone, tablet, printer, PDA, etc.

• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

o A MAN is larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. This is the type
of computer network that connects computers over a geographical
distance through a shared communication path over a city, town, or
metropolitan area.
 o This network mainly uses FDDI, CDDI, and ATM as the technology
with a range from 5km to 50km. Its transmission speed is average. It
is difficult to maintain and it comes with a high cost.

o A metropolitan area network is a network that covers a larger

geographic area by interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger
network.

o Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private

industries.

o In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone

exchange line.

o The most widely used protocols in MAN are RS-232, Frame Relay, ATM,
ISDN, OC-3, ADSL, etc.

o It has a higher range than Local Area Network(LAN).

o Examples of MAN are networking in towns, cities, a single large city,
a large area within multiple buildings, etc.
• Wide Area Network (WAN)

• A Wide Area Network is a network that extends over a large geographical area
such as states or countries.

• A Wide Area Network is quite bigger network than the LAN.

• A Wide Area Network is not limited to a single location, but it spans over a
large geographical area through a telephone line, fibre optic cable or satellite
links.

• The internet is one of the biggest WAN in the world.

• A Wide Area Network is widely used in the field of Business, government, and
education.

• WAN is a type of computer network that connects computers over

a large geographical distance through a shared communication
 path. It is not restrained to a single location but extends over many
locations.
• WAN can also be defined as a group of local area networks that
communicate with each other with a range above 50km.

Topologies :- Topology defines the structure of the network of how all

the components are interconnected to each other. There are two types
of topology: physical and logical topology.

1)Bus Topology
Computer Network Topologies
• The bus topology is designed in such a way that all the stations
are connected through a single cable known as a backbone cable.
• Each node is either connected to the backbone cable by drop
cable or directly connected to the backbone cable.
• When a node wants to send a message over the network, it puts a
message over the network. All the stations available in the
network will receive the message whether it has been addressed
or not.
• The bus topology Is mainly used in 802.3 (ethernet) and 802.4
standard networks.
• The configuration of a bus topology is quite simpler as compared
to other topologies.
• The backbone cable is considered as a “single lane” through which
the message is broadcast to all the stations.
• The most common access method of the bus topologies is CSMA
(Carrier Sense Multiple Access).
 • CSMA: It is a media access control used to control the data flow so
that data integrity is maintained, i.e., the packets do not get lost.
There are two alternative ways of handling the problems that
occur when two nodes send the messages simultaneously.
• CSMA CD: CSMA CD (Collision detection) is an access method used
to detect the collision. Once the collision is detected, the sender
will stop transmitting the data. Therefore, it works on “recovery
after the collision”.
• CSMA CA: CSMA CA (Collision Avoidance) is an access method
used to avoid the collision by checking whether the transmission
media is busy or not. If busy, then the sender waits until the
media becomes idle. This technique effectively reduces the
possibility of the collision. It does not work on “recovery after the
collision”.
Advantages of Bus topology:
o Low-cost cable: In bus topology, nodes are directly connected to the cable without
passing through a hub. Therefore, the initial cost of installation is low.
o Moderate data speeds: Coaxial or twisted pair cables are mainly used in bus-based
networks that support upto 10 Mbps.
o Familiar technology: Bus topology is a familiar technology as the installation and
troubleshooting techniques are well known, and hardware components are easily
available.
o Limited failure: A failure in one node will not have any effect on other nodes.

Disadvantages of Bus topology:

o Extensive cabling: A bus topology is quite simpler, but still it requires a lot of cabling.
o Difficult troubleshooting: It requires specialized test equipment to determine the cable
faults. If any fault occurs in the cable, then it would disrupt the communication for all the
nodes.
o Signal interference: If two nodes send the messages simultaneously, then the signals of
both the nodes collide with each other.
 o Reconfiguration difficult: Adding new devices to the network would slow down the
network.
o Attenuation: Attenuation is a loss of signal leads to communication issues. Repeaters are
used to regenerate the signal.

2) Ring Topology
o Ring topology is like a bus topology, but with connected ends.
o The node that receives the message from the previous computer will retransmit to the next
node.
o The data flows in one direction, i.e., it is unidirectional.
o The data flows in a single loop continuously known as an endless loop.
o It has no terminated ends, i.e., each node is connected to other node and having no
termination point.
o The data in a ring topology flow in a clockwise direction.
o The most common access method of the ring topology is token passing.
o Token passing: It is a network access method in which token is passed from one
node to another node.
o Token: It is a frame that circulates around the network.

Working of Token passing

o A token moves around the network, and it is passed from computer to computer until it
reaches the destination.
o The sender modifies the token by putting the address along with the data.
o The data is passed from one device to another device until the destination address
matches. Once the token received by the destination device, then it sends the
acknowledgment to the sender.
o In a ring topology, a token is used as a carrier.

Advantages of Ring topology:

o Network Management: Faulty devices can be removed from the network without
bringing the network down.
 o Product availability: Many hardware and software tools for network operation and
monitoring are available.
o Cost: Twisted pair cabling is inexpensive and easily available. Therefore, the installation
cost is very low.
o Reliable: It is a more reliable network because the communication system is not
dependent on the single host computer.

Disadvantages of Ring topology:

o Difficult troubleshooting: It requires specialized test equipment to determine the cable
faults. If any fault occurs in the cable, then it would disrupt the communication for all the
nodes.
o Failure: The breakdown in one station leads to the failure of the overall network.
o Reconfiguration difficult: Adding new devices to the network would slow down the
network.
o Delay: Communication delay is directly proportional to the number of nodes. Adding new
devices increases the communication delay.

3) Star Topology
o Star topology is an arrangement of the network in which every node is connected to the
central hub, switch or a central computer.
o The central computer is known as a server, and the peripheral devices attached to the
server are known as clients.
o Coaxial cable or RJ-45 cables are used to connect the computers.
o Hubs or Switches are mainly used as connection devices in a physical star topology.
o Star topology is the most popular topology in network implementation.

Advantages of Star topology

o Efficient troubleshooting: Troubleshooting is quite efficient in a star topology as
compared to bus topology. In a bus topology, the manager has to inspect the kilometers
of cable. In a star topology, all the stations are connected to the centralized network.
Therefore, the network administrator has to go to the single station to troubleshoot the
problem.
 o Network control: Complex network control features can be easily implemented in the star
topology. Any changes made in the star topology are automatically accommodated.
o Limited failure: As each station is connected to the central hub with its own cable,
therefore failure in one cable will not affect the entire network.
o Familiar technology: Star topology is a familiar technology as its tools are cost-effective.
o Easily expandable: It is easily expandable as new stations can be added to the open ports
on the hub.
o Cost effective: Star topology networks are cost-effective as it uses inexpensive coaxial
cable.
o High data speeds: It supports a bandwidth of approx 100Mbps. Ethernet 100BaseT is one
of the most popular Star topology networks.

Disadvantages of Star topology

o A Central point of failure: If the central hub or switch goes down, then all the connected
nodes will not be able to communicate with each other.
o Cable: Sometimes cable routing becomes difficult when a significant amount of routing is
required.

5) Mesh topology
o Mesh technology is an arrangement of the network in which computers are interconnected
with each other through various redundant connections.
o There are multiple paths from one computer to another computer.
o It does not contain the switch, hub or any central computer which acts as a central point
of communication.
o The Internet is an example of the mesh topology.
o Mesh topology is mainly used for WAN implementations where communication failures
are a critical concern.
o Mesh topology is mainly used for wireless networks.
o Mesh topology can be formed by using the formula:
Number of cables = (n*(n-1))/2;

Where n is the number of nodes that represents the network.

Mesh topology is divided into two categories:

o Fully connected mesh topology

o Partially connected mesh topology

o Full Mesh Topology: In a full mesh topology, each computer is connected to all the
computers available in the network.
o Partial Mesh Topology: In a partial mesh topology, not all but certain computers are
connected to those computers with which they communicate frequently.

Advantages of Mesh topology:

Reliable: The mesh topology networks are very reliable as if any link breakdown will not
affect the communication between connected computers.

Fast Communication: Communication is very fast between the nodes.

Easier Reconfiguration: Adding new devices would not disrupt the communication
between other devices.

Disadvantages of Mesh topology

o Cost: A mesh topology contains a large number of connected devices such as a router and
more transmission media than other topologies.
o Management: Mesh topology networks are very large and very difficult to maintain and
manage. If the network is not monitored carefully, then the communication link failure
goes undetected.
o Efficiency: In this topology, redundant connections are high that reduces the efficiency of
the network.

Transmission Media:

In data communication terminology, a transmission medium is a

physical path between the transmitter and the receiver i.e. it is
the channel through which data is sent from one place to another.
Transmission Media is broadly classified into the following types:
 o Transmission media is a communication channel that carries the information
from the sender to the receiver. Data is transmitted through the
electromagnetic signals.

1. Guided Media: It is also referred to as Wired or Bounded transmission

media. Signals being transmitted are directed and confined in a narrow
pathway by using physical links.
Features:

• HighSpeed
• Secure
• Used for comparatively shorter distances

There are 3 major types of Guided Media:

(i) Twisted Pair Cable –

It consists of 2 separately insulated conductor wires wound about each other.
Generally, several such pairs are bundled together in a protective sheath.
They are the most widely used Transmission Media. Twisted Pair is of two
types:

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP):

UTP consists of two insulated copper wires twisted around one
another. This type of cable has the ability to block interference and
does not depend on a physical shield for this purpose. It is used for
telephonic applications.
Advantages:

⇢ Least expensive

⇢ Easy to install

⇢ High-speed capacity

Disadvantages:

⇢ Susceptible to external interference

⇢ Lower capacity and performance in comparison to STP

⇢ Short distance transmission due to attenuation

Applications:

Used in telephone connections and LAN networks

• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP):

This type of cable consists of a special jacket (a copper braid covering
or a foil shield) to block external interference. It is used in fast-data-
rate Ethernet and in voice and data channels of telephone lines.

Advantages:

⇢ Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP

⇢ Eliminates crosstalk

⇢ Comparatively faster

Disadvantages:
⇢ Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture

⇢ More expensive

⇢ Bulky

Applications:

The shielded twisted pair type of cable is most frequently used in extremely
cold climates, where the additional layer of outer covering makes it perfect for
withstanding such temperatures or for shielding the interior components.

(ii) Coaxial Cable –

It has an outer plastic covering containing an insulation layer made of PVC or
Teflon and 2 parallel conductors each having a separate insulated protection
cover. The coaxial cable transmits information in two modes: Baseband
mode(dedicated cable bandwidth) and Broadband mode(cable bandwidth is
split into separate ranges). Cable TVs and analog television networks widely
use Coaxial cables.

Advantages:

• High Bandwidth
• Better noise Immunity
• Easy to install and expand
• Inexpensive

Disadvantages:

• Single cable failure can disrupt the entire network

Applications:

Radio frequency signals are sent over coaxial wire. It can be used for cable
television signal distribution, digital audio (S/PDIF), computer network
connections (like Ethernet), and feedlines that connect radio transmitters and
receivers to their antennas.

(iii) Optical Fiber Cable –

It uses the concept of refraction of light through a core made up of glass or
plastic. The core is surrounded by a less dense glass or plastic covering
called the cladding. It is used for the transmission of large volumes of data.

The cable can be unidirectional or bidirectional. The WDM (Wavelength

Division Multiplexer) supports two modes, namely unidirectional and
bidirectional mode.

Advantages:

• Increased capacity and bandwidth

• Lightweight
• Less signal attenuation
• Immunity to electromagnetic interference
• Resistance to corrosive materials

Disadvantages:

• Difficult
to install and maintain
• High cost
• Fragile

Applications:

• MedicalPurpose: Used in several types of medical instruments.

• DefencePurpose: Used in transmission of data in aerospace.
• For Communication: This is largely used in formation of internet cables.
 • Industrial
Purpose: Used for lighting purposes and safety measures in
designing the interior and exterior of automobiles.

(iv) Stripline

• Stripline is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line

medium invented by Robert M. Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge
Research Centre in the 1950s. Stripline is the earliest form of the planar
transmission line. It uses a conducting material to transmit high-
frequency waves it is also called a waveguide. This conducting material
is sandwiched between two layers of the ground plane which are usually
shorted to provide EMI immunity.

(v) Microstripline

• In this, the conducting material is separated from the ground plane by a

layer of dielectric.

2. Unguided Media:
It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media. No
physical medium is required for the transmission of electromagnetic signals.

Features:

• The signal is broadcasted through air

• Less Secure
• Used for larger distances

There are 3 types of Signals transmitted through unguided media:

(i) Radio waves –

These are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending
and receiving antennas need not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz.
AM and FM radios and cordless phones use Radio waves for transmission.
Further Categorized as (i) Terrestrial and (ii) Satellite.

(ii) Microwaves –
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need
to be properly aligned with each other. The distance covered by the signal is
directly proportional to the height of the antenna. Frequency Range:1GHz –
300GHz. These are majorly used for mobile phone communication and
television distribution.

Microwave Transmission

(iii) Infrared –
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot
penetrate through obstacles. This prevents interference between systems.
Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is used in TV remotes, wireless
mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.
 Multiplexing is the sharing of a medium or bandwidth. It is the
process in which multiple signals coming from multiple sources
are combined and transmitted over a single
communication/physical line.
Types of Multiplexing :-
1. Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
2. Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)
3. Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)

1. Frequency Division Multiplexing :

• Frequency division multiplexing is defined as a type of multiplexing

where the bandwidth of a single physical medium is divided into a
number of smaller, independent frequency channels.
 • Frequency Division Multiplexing is used in radio and television
transmission.

• In FDM, we can observe a lot of inter-channel cross-talk, due to the fact

that in this type of multiplexing the bandwidth is divided into frequency
channels. In order to prevent the inter-channel cross talk, unused strips
of bandwidth must be placed between each channel. These unused
strips between each channel are known as guard bands.

2. Time Division Multiplexing :

Time-division multiplexing is defined as a type of multiplexing wherein FDM,

instead of sharing a portion of the bandwidth in the form of channels, in TDM,
time is shared. Each connection occupies a portion of time in the link.
In Time Division Multiplexing, all signals operate with the same frequency
(bandwidth) at different times.

There are two types of Time Division Multiplexing :

1. Synchronous Time Division Multiplexing

2. Statistical (or Asynchronous) Time Division Multiplexing

Synchronous TDM :

Synchronous TDM is a type of Time Division Multiplexing where the input

frame already has a slot in the output frame. Time slots are grouped into
frames. One frame consists of one cycle of time slots.

Synchronous TDM is not efficient because if the input frame has no data to
send, a slot remains empty in the output frame.

In synchronous TDM, we need to mention the synchronous bit at the

beginning of each frame.
Statistical TDM :

Statistical TDM is a type of Time Division Multiplexing where the output frame
collects data from the input frame till it is full, not leaving an empty slot like in
Synchronous TDM.

In statistical TDM, we need to include the address of each particular data in

the slot that is being sent to the output frame.

Statistical TDM is a more efficient type of time-division multiplexing as the

channel capacity is fully utilized and improves the bandwidth efficiency.

3. Wavelength Division Multiplexing :

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) is a multiplexing technology used to

increase the capacity of optical fiber by transmitting multiple optical signals
simultaneously over a single optical fiber, each with a different wavelength.

Each signal is carried on a different wavelength of light, and the resulting

signals are combined onto a single optical fiber for transmission. At the
receiving end, the signals are separated by their wavelengths, demultiplexed
and routed to their respective destinations.

WDM can be divided into two categories: Dense Wavelength Division

Multiplexing (DWDM) and Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM).
 DWDM is used to multiplex a large number of optical signals onto a single
fiber, typically up to 80 channels with a spacing of 0.8 nm or less between the
channels.

CWDM is used for lower-capacity applications, typically up to 18 channels

with a spacing of 20 nm between the channels.

WDM has several advantages over other multiplexing technologies such as

Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). WDM allows for higher data rates and
capacity, lower power consumption, and reduced equipment complexity.
WDM is also flexible, allowing for easy upgrades and expansions to existing
networks.

WDM is used in a wide range of applications, including telecommunications,

cable TV, internet service providers, and data centers. It enables the
transmission of large amounts of data over long distances with high speed
and efficiency.

Wavelength Division Multiplexing is used on fiber optics to increase the

capacity of a single fiber. It is an analog multiplexing technique. Optical
signals from the different sources are combined to form a wider band of light
with the help of multiplexers. At the receiving end, the De-multiplexer
separates the signals to transmit them to their respective destinations.

Switching :
In large networks, there can be multiple paths from sender to receiver. The
switching technique will decide the best route for data transmission.

Switching technique is used to connect the systems for making one-to-one

communication.

Switched communication networks are those in which data transferred from

source to destination is routed between various intermediate nodes. Switching
is the technique by which nodes control or switch data to transmit it between
specific points on a network. There are 3 common switching techniques:

1. Circuit Switching
2. Packet Switching
3. Message Switching
Circuit Switching
o Circuit switching is a switching technique that establishes a dedicated path
between sender and receiver.

o In the Circuit Switching Technique, once the connection is established then the
dedicated path will remain to exist until the connection is terminated.

o Circuit switching in a network operates in a similar way as the telephone works.

o A complete end-to-end path must exist before the communication takes place.

o In case of circuit switching technique, when any user wants to send the data,
voice, video, a request signal is sent to the receiver then the receiver sends
back the acknowledgment to ensure the availability of the dedicated path. After
receiving the acknowledgment, dedicated path transfers the data.

o Circuit switching is used in public telephone network. It is used for voice

transmission.

o Fixed data can be transferred at a time in circuit switching technology.

Communication through circuit switching has 3 phases:

o Circuit establishment

o Data transfer

o Circuit Disconnect

Circuit Switching can use either of the two technologies:

Space Division Switches:

o Space Division Switching is a circuit switching technology in which a single
transmission path is accomplished in a switch by using a physically separate
set of crosspoints.
 o Space Division Switching can be achieved by using crossbar switch. A crossbar
switch is a metallic crosspoint or semiconductor gate that can be enabled or
disabled by a control unit.

o The Crossbar switch is made by using the semiconductor. For example, Xilinx
crossbar switch using FPGAs.

o Space Division Switching has high speed, high capacity, and nonblocking
switches.

Advantages Of Circuit Switching:

o In the case of Circuit Switching technique, the communication channel is

dedicated.

o It has fixed bandwidth.

Disadvantages Of Circuit Switching:

o Once the dedicated path is established, the only delay occurs in the speed of
data transmission.

o It takes a long time to establish a connection approx 10 seconds during which

no data can be transmitted.

o It is more expensive than other switching techniques as a dedicated path is

required for each connection.

o It is inefficient to use because once the path is established and no data is

transferred, then the capacity of the path is wasted.

o In this case, the connection is dedicated therefore no other data can be

transferred even if the channel is free.
Packet Switching
o The packet switching is a switching technique in which the message is sent in
one go, but it is divided into smaller pieces, and they are sent individually.

o The message splits into smaller pieces known as packets and packets are given
a unique number to identify their order at the receiving end.

o Every packet contains some information in its headers such as source address,
destination address and sequence number.

o Packets will travel across the network, taking the shortest path as possible.

o All the packets are reassembled at the receiving end in correct order.

o If any packet is missing or corrupted, then the message will be sent to resend
the message.

o If the correct order of the packets is reached, then the acknowledgment

message will be sent.

Approaches Of Packet Switching:

There are two approaches to Packet Switching:

Datagram Packet switching:

o It is a packet switching technology in which packet is known as a datagram, is
considered as an independent entity. Each packet contains the information
about the destination and switch uses this information to forward the packet
to the correct destination.

o The packets are reassembled at the receiving end in correct order.

o In Datagram Packet Switching technique, the path is not fixed.

o Intermediate nodes take the routing decisions to forward the packets.

o Datagram Packet Switching is also known as connectionless switching.

Virtual Circuit Switching
o Virtual Circuit Switching is also known as connection-oriented switching.

o In the case of Virtual circuit switching, a preplanned route is established before

the messages are sent.

o Call request and call accept packets are used to establish the connection
between sender and receiver.

o In this case, the path is fixed for the duration of a logical connection.

Advantages Of Packet Switching:

o Cost-effective: In packet switching technique, switching devices do not require

massive secondary storage to store the packets, so cost is minimized to some

extent. Therefore, we can say that the packet switching technique is a cost-
effective technique.

o Reliable: If any node is busy, then the packets can be rerouted. This ensures

that the Packet Switching technique provides reliable communication.

o Efficient: Packet Switching is an efficient technique. It does not require any

established path prior to the transmission, and many users can use the same
communication channel simultaneously, hence makes use of available
bandwidth very efficiently.

Disadvantages Of Packet Switching:

o Packet Switching technique cannot be implemented in those applications that

require low delay and high-quality services.

o The protocols used in a packet switching technique are very complex and
requires high implementation cost.

o If the network is overloaded or corrupted, then it requires retransmission of

lost packets. It can also lead to the loss of critical information if errors are nor
recovered.
Message Switching
o Message Switching is a switching technique in which a message is transferred as a
complete unit and routed through intermediate nodes at which it is stored and forwarded.
o In Message Switching technique, there is no establishment of a dedicated path between
the sender and receiver.
o The destination address is appended to the message. Message Switching provides a
dynamic routing as the message is routed through the intermediate nodes based on the
information available in the message.
o Message switches are programmed in such a way so that they can provide the most
efficient routes.
o Each and every node stores the entire message and then forward it to the next node. This
type of network is known as store and forward network.
o Message switching treats each message as an independent entity.

Advantages Of Message Switching

o Data channels are shared among the communicating devices that improve the efficiency
of using available bandwidth.
o Traffic congestion can be reduced because the message is temporarily stored in the nodes.
o Message priority can be used to manage the network.
o The size of the message which is sent over the network can be varied. Therefore, it supports
the data of unlimited size.

Disadvantages Of Message Switching

o The message switches must be equipped with sufficient storage to enable them to store
the messages until the message is forwarded.
o The Long delay can occur due to the storing and forwarding facility provided by the
message switching technique.