Free Network basics lessonsNetwork basics · Stage 0 · How data travels · Step 1
Packets and switching
See why data is cut into packets, and why sharing a link packet by packet beats reserving it. About 12 minutes.
Why can packet switching carry more bursty users on a link than circuit switching?
- AUsers are rarely all active at once, so one user's idle moments are used by others
- BPackets travel faster than circuits
- CPacket switching needs no routers
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Users are rarely all active at once, so one user's idle moments are used by others. That is statistical multiplexing: no capacity sits reserved and unused.
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