1. Introduction

To get from one place on a network to another, data has to:

• first be sent from a networked device
• then travel across a medium (either wired or wireless)
• and finally, be received by another device.

No matter whether the network is wired or wireless, the transmission of data has to be managed.

There are two methods for ensuring that messages sent across a network do not get mixed up or scrambled: circuit switching and packet switching.

This section will discuss both technologies, and compare the merits of both approaches.