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Switching Techniques in Computer Networks

The document discusses switching techniques in computer networks, focusing on circuit switching, packet switching, and message switching. Circuit switching provides a dedicated path for communication but is inefficient for data transmission, while packet switching allows for simultaneous transmission of packets, making it more efficient and robust. Message switching, an older method, is reliable but has higher latency and resource requirements compared to packet switching.

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15 views21 pages

Switching Techniques in Computer Networks

The document discusses switching techniques in computer networks, focusing on circuit switching, packet switching, and message switching. Circuit switching provides a dedicated path for communication but is inefficient for data transmission, while packet switching allows for simultaneous transmission of packets, making it more efficient and robust. Message switching, an older method, is reliable but has higher latency and resource requirements compared to packet switching.

Uploaded by

kibat40952
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Switching Techniques in

Computer Networks
Introduction to Switching
• We use switching techniques in computer networks to connect
devices and allow them to communicate with each other.
• Additionally, we can utilize switching techniques to transfer data from
one device to another.
• Switching allows multiple devices to share the same communication
channel simultaneously. As a result, it improves the efficiency of the
network.
• Furthermore, switching also enables the network to route data to its
intended destination.
• Additionally, it provides a mechanism for error checking and
correction.
There’re three main switching techniques used in computer networks:
1. circuit switching,
2. packet switching, and
3. message switching.
Circuit Switching
• We mainly use circuit switching in traditional telephone networks.
When two devices want to communicate in a circuit-switched
network, they establish a connection by setting up a dedicated path
between them. This path is reserved exclusively for the duration of
the communication. Hence, no other devices can use it during that
specific time.
• Once we establish the connection, we can transfer data between
devices over the dedicated path. This path typically comprises a series
of interconnected switches or nodes that route the data to its
destination.
Let’s take a look at the general architecture of a network where we use
circuit switching technique to transfer data from Computer 1 to
Computer 3:
• Circuit switching isn’t commonly used in computer networks, as it
isn’t very efficient for data transmission.
• We reserve the dedicated path for the entire duration of the
communication. Therefore, we waste a significant amount of
bandwidth during those times.
• Additionally, circuit switching is not well-suited for networks with high
traffic volumes.
• However, we still use circuit switching in some specialized
applications, such as in satellite communications, where the delay of
packet switching can be prohibitive.
Advantages
• Circuit switching provides a dedicated communication path between
two devices for the duration of the communication. Hence, we
reserve the bandwidth for the entire conversation. This results in
guaranteed bandwidth, which can be important for applications that
require a constant data rate.

• As we reserve the dedicated communication for the entire


conversation, there’s no packet loss. Finally, circuit switching provides
predictable performance.
Disadvantages
• Circuit switching requires the dedicated communication path to be
reserved for the entire duration of the communication. This results in
an inefficient use of bandwidth, as the dedicated path isn’t being
utilized during these times.
• Circuit switching isn’t well-suited for networks with high traffic
volumes. This limits the scalability of circuit switching in large
networks.
• Finally, it requires dedicated resources, such as switches or nodes, to
establish the dedicated communication path. This can result in high
costs for establishing and maintaining circuit-switched networks.
Packet Switching
• Packet switching is a method used to transmit data over a network.
We divide data into small packets and transmit them over the
network independently. Each packet contains the data and
destination address information required to route the packet to its
destination.

• In packet switching, each packet travels separately through the


network and can take different paths to reach its destination. This
approach allows for more efficient use of network resources because
we can transmit multiple packets simultaneously over the same
network.
Let’s take a look at a network where we use packet switching
technique to transfer data from Computer 1 to Computer 3:
• Packet switching is the basis for the Internet, which uses the
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of
protocols for communication between devices.
• In this system, we transmit packets between devices, and routers
along the way use the destination address information in each packet
to route it to the next hop until it reaches its destination.
Advantages
• It allows multiple packets to be transmitted simultaneously over the
network, making more efficient use of the available bandwidth.
• Packet switching is a robust and reliable method of data transmission.
If one packet is lost or delayed, it doesn’t affect the transmission of
other packets, as we route packets independently through the
network.
• Packet switching is highly flexible. It can easily adapt to changing
traffic patterns and network conditions.
Disadvantages
• The process of breaking data into packets and adding header
information to each packet can introduce additional overhead and
latency into the transmission process. This can increase the time
required for packets to reach their destination. Additionally, it can
reduce the overall speed of data transmission.

• It can be vulnerable to security threats such as packet sniffing. This


can compromise the privacy and security of data transmitted over the
network. Furthermore, it can be complex to set up and manage,
particularly in larger or more complex networks.
Message Switching
• Message switching is a method of data transmission that was popular
in the early days of networking, before the development of packet
switching. In message switching, we divide a message into fixed-
length blocks or frames.

• Furthermore, we transmit each frame independently through the


network. Additionally, each intermediate node stores the frames until
the entire message is received. Finally, the nodes forward the entire
message to its destination.
• Unlike packet switching, message switching is a store-and-forward
method of data transmission. It means that each intermediate node
stores the entire message until it can be forwarded to the next node.
This can result in longer transmission times compared to packet
switching. We can only transmit each message when an intermediate
node receives all the parts of the message.
Let’s take a look at a network where we use message switching
technique to transfer data from Computer 1 to Computer 3:
Advantages
• Message switching is a highly reliable method of data transmission. Each
intermediate node stores the entire message until it can be forwarded to the
next node. This reduces the risk of data loss or corruption, as we store each
message at intermediate nodes before forwarding them.

• It’s a simple method of data transmission that doesn’t require complex


routing algorithms or network management techniques. This makes it easy to
implement and manage, particularly in small or low-bandwidth networks.

• Message switching has a lower overhead compared to other methods of data


transmission. This means that more bandwidth is available for data
transmission.
Disadvantages
• Message switching has a higher latency compared to other methods,
such as packet switching. Additionally, it can be inefficient in terms of
network resource utilization because each intermediate node must
store the entire message until it can be forwarded.

• Finally, it requires more network resources for each message. This


means that message-switching networks may be unable to support
large numbers of devices or high-bandwidth applications.

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