Circuit Switching
Circuit switching is a communication method that establishes a dedicated physical path between source and destination for the entire duration of the communication session. This technology, originally developed for telephone networks, creates an uninterrupted connection that remains active until explicitly terminated.
The circuit-switched connection process involves three distinct phases:
- Circuit establishment (setup phase)
- Data transfer (communication phase)
- Circuit termination (teardown phase)
Example: Traditional telephone systems establish a physical circuit between caller and receiver, maintaining this dedicated path throughout the conversation.