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Packet Switching in Computer Network

Packet switching is a connectionless network switching method. Here, the message is split up into a number of packet-like pieces and sent from the source to the destination one at a time. It is not necessary to set up a separate communication link.

In this article, we will look more into Packet Switching in Computer Networks according to the GATE Syllabus for (Computer Science Engineering) CSE. We will read ahead to find out more about it.

Table of Contents

What is Packet Switching in a Computer Network?

Data can be transferred to a network via packet switching in the form of packets. The data is divided into small, variable-length units called packets in order to transport files quickly and effectively through networks while minimising transmission latency. All of these little components (packets), which belong to the same file, must be put back together at the destination. Payload and additional control information make up a packet. There is no requirement for resource reservations or pre-setup.

What is a Process?

A header and a payload are the two components of each packet in a packet switching mechanism. The header of the packet contains the addressing information, which the intermediate routers use to direct it to its destination. The actual data is carried by the payload.

Based on its header information, a packet is forwarded as soon as it becomes available in a node. A message’s packets are not all routed along the same path. As a result, the message’s packets arrive at their destination out of sequence. The destination is in charge of rearranging the packets in order to recover the original message.

Techniques Used by Packet Switching

When switching packets, the store and the forward mechanism is employed; each hop stores the packet before forwarding it. Due to the possibility of packets being dropped at any time for any reason, this strategy is quite helpful. There may be more than one way to get from one place to another. Each packet has a source address and a destination address that it uses to move through the network independently. To put it in other words, packets from the same file may not follow the same path. Packets are free to select any other paths over an existing network if there is congestion on a particular path.

Since circuit-switched networks weren’t very efficient for small messages, packet-switched networks were created to address these shortcomings.

Pros and Cons of Packet Switching

Pros

  • Since packets are dispatched as soon as they are available, delivery delays are minimised.
  • Since switching devices don’t have to store the complete message before sending it to the next node, they don’t need a lot of storage.
  • Even if a link fails in some areas of the network, data delivery can still occur. Other pathways can be used to route packets.
  • It permits numerous users to use the same channel at once.
  • As numerous packets from various sources can be sent via the same channel, it guarantees improved bandwidth usage.

Cons

  • They are inappropriate for applications like high-quality voice calls that cannot tolerate communication delays.
  • Cost-prohibitive installation of packet switching.
  • Complicated protocols are needed to deliver them.
  • Packet mistakes, delivery delays, and packet loss can all result from network issues. If not managed properly, this could result in the loss of important data.

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