Computer Networking › Section A · Computer networks and the internet › Topic A.3
The network core: packet and circuit switching
Between the access networks lies the core: a mesh of routers and high-capacity links that carries everyone's traffic. How the core shares those links, packet by packet or by reserving circuits, explains both the internet's efficiency and its unpredictable delays.
In this topic
- Two ways to share a network
- Packet switching and transmission time
- Store-and-forward transmission
- Worked example: four links, five packets
- Queues, delay and loss
- Forwarding tables and routing protocols
- Circuit switching: FDM and TDM
- Worked example: a file over a TDM circuit
- Why packet switching usually wins
- A network of networks
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…