Establishing Communications Channels

This chapter discusses the key definitions and characteristics associated with establishing communications channels. It covers networking modes and switching modes, including the differences between routing and switching. It also covers the details of circuit switching and its particular applications, where it shines, and where it has fallen short in the past. This chapter also looks at packet switchingwhy it has become such a darling in recent years, what its potential prospects are, and what challenges it faces in the future. The chapter ends with a quick comparison between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet.