What is switching?

• In telephone networks, subscribers' communication with each other is carried out by switching communication channels.

• A similar principle is used in computer networks. Remote computers in a computer network act as subscribers. Physically, it is not possible to provide each computer with its own non-switched communication line, which they would use throughout the time. Therefore, in almost all computer networks, some method of switching subscribers (workstations) is always used, which makes it possible to access existing communication channels for several subscribers to provide several communication sessions simultaneously.

• Switching is the process of connecting various subscribers of a communication network through transit nodes. Communication networks must ensure that their subscribers communicate with each other.