Difference between Circuit Switching and Packet Switching : Circuit Switching vs Packet Switching

Circuit switching and packet switching are two different methods of transmitting data over a network. Learn their key differences in this guide.

Circuit switching and packet switching are two methods of network communication. Circuit switching establishes a dedicated connection for the entire duration of the communication, while packet switching divides the data into small packets and routes them dynamically through the network. Circuit switching is more reliable and secure, but less flexible and efficient than packet switching. Packet switching is highly scalable and adaptable to varying network conditions, but can be less secure due to the potential for interception and tampering of individual packets. Understanding the differences between these two methods is important for designing and implementing effective network communication systems.

Circuit Switching vs Packet Switching

Feature	Circuit Switching	Packet Switching
Method	Dedicated path	Shared path
Connection setup	Connection-oriented	Connectionless
Bandwidth utilization	Fixed	Variable
Latency	Low	High
Data integrity	Guaranteed	Not guaranteed
Overhead	Low	High
Used in	Voice communication	Data communication
Network congestion	Blocked when network is congested	Slows down when network is congested
Examples	Traditional telephone systems, ISDN	Internet, LAN, WAN
Data transfer	Continuous data stream	Discrete packets of data
Routing mechanism	No routing mechanism	Packet routing
Transmission order	Ordered	Not ordered
Resource utilization	High resource utilization due to constant connection maintenance	Low resource utilization due to shared use of network resources
Quality of Service (QoS)	Easy to maintain QoS as circuit is dedicated	QoS can vary depending on network conditions
Flexibility	Circuits are dedicated and fixed	Highly flexible as packets can be dynamically routed and re-routed
Security	Relatively secure as dedicated circuits are difficult to intercept	Less secure as packets can be intercepted and tampered with