Switching Techniques: Circuit, Message, Packet Switching

Switching Techniques means techniques from which data are transmitted across networks. The Three Types of switching techniques are employed to provide communication between two computers on a network are:

1. Circuit Switching 
2. Message Switching
3. Packet Switching

1) Circuit Switching 

circuit switching is a technique that directly connects the sender and the receiver in an unbroken path. With this type of technique, once a connection is established a dedicated path exists between both ends until the connection is terminated. For example, telephone switching equipment establishes a path that connects the caller's telephone to the receiver's telephone by making a physical connection. The important property of this switching technique is to an end-to-end path between computers Before any data can be sent.

2) Message Switching

In this technique, the source computer sends data for the message to the switching office first, which stores the data in its buffer. It then Looks for a free link to another switching office and then sends the data to this office. This process is continued until the data are delivered to the destination computers. This type of network is called a store and forward network.

3) Packet Switching

in the packet switching method, the message is broken into small parts, called packets. Each packet is tagged with appropriate source and destination addresses. Data packets can be stored in the main memory instead of the disc there for access delay and costs are minimized also the transmission speeds between nodes are optimized.