Switching

When comparing and contrasting packet and circuit switching you must know what they do in order to be able to know what the advantages and disadvantages are. So I will explain their jobs and what is good and bad about each one.

Packet switching is a digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data-regardless of content, type, or structure- into suitably-sized blocks, called packets. With packet switching some of the advantages would include Bandwidth optimized by enabling many devices to use the same communication channel, next you have routes may be changed on the fly, achieving the best efficiency possible, and finally the entire message is not stored at the switches which in effect reduces delays in getting packets.

Disadvantages would include less hard drive space needed but more actual memory needed, and more processing power is required due to complex routing protocols. (like recognizing when a packet has been lost).

Next you have circuit switching which establishes a path for communication that remains fixed for the duration of the connection, like a telephone connection. With circuit switching all communication is done over the same path which ties up a media path until the connection is broken, so this means that other devices cannot use this path and bandwidth efficiently.

Advantages include One the circuit has been set up, communication is fast and without error, and another which to me is very important is that it is highly reliable.

Disadvantages include lots of overhead, during channel set up, also it waists a lot of bandwidth, especially in speech whereby a user is sometimes not even talking just listening, and finally the channel takes a lot long to set up.

By looking at the goods and bad then you could make your decision which is better for you and your network.