Comparing connection-oriented packet switching network and connection-less packet switching network

Introduction

When a source host needs to send a message to a destination host, the source breaks the long message into smaller chunks of data and adds a header byte containing the destination address. These are known as Data Packets. The process of transmitting data packets from a source to a destination, through several intermediate network nodes is called Network Switching. Each node switches the data packets into the next node towards the destination.

There are two switching methods to establish a connection before sending data from one device to another: Connection-oriented Switching and Connection-less Switching.

Comparison

Comparison Parameter	Connection-oriented switching	Connection-less switching
Definition	A dedicated path is established between the source and the destination before data switching. The entire message is sent through this path after the path establishment	No paths are established before the data switching. Each data packet has complete address information and is routed individually from source to destination with the help of forwarding tables of the nodes.
Related systems in the real world	Telephone system- In telephone networks, when one person wants to send information to another, a connection is established between the sender and the receiver before the sender can send the information.	Postal system- In the postal system, each letter (data packet) takes different route paths from the sender to the receiver’s destination address.
Resource allocation	Requires dedicated virtual path/connection between sender & receiver	Does not require any virtual path/connection
Authentication	Requires authentication before transmitting data to a destination	Does not require authentication
Data packets’ path to a destination	All the packets follow the same path dedicated to it	Follow random paths between the sender and destination.
Store and Forward transmission	Not supported	Each hop/router first stores the packet and then forwards
Data transmission rate	Fixed. Gains a fraction of each link’s transmission capacity.	Not fixed. Shared among the users who have packets that need to be transmitted over the link
Transmission time	Can guarantee due to constant transmission rate	Cannot be guaranteed due to varying transmission rates
Connection Termination	Requires to terminate the created path/ connection during data transmission.	It is not required because no connection/path was created.
Data Reliability	Guarantees because it has a dedicated path to transmit data. Therefore, no packets are dropped due to overloading	Does not guarantee. If the network is overloaded packets will be delayed, discarded, or dropped
Traffic congestion	Not possible because there is no waiting time at switches.	Possibly due to the occurrence of buffers on the sending side.
Order of packets	It is the same as sending order from the source since it has a fixed path	Might change from the sent order due to random paths
Suitability	For long and steady communication	For bursty communication
Signaling	Requires to establish a path	Does not require
Bandwidth requirement	High because only one path is available even for a larger size message	Low because packets are transmitted to the destination over many paths
Bandwidth wastage	Yes. Because a dedicated path cannot be used by other senders during congestion even if the path is free.	No. Because several users can share the same channel simultaneously.
Efficiency	Low due to path establishment	High since no path establishment so packets can choose a different path when there is congestion.
Implementing cost	Requires a considerable cost	Lower
Switching Techniques used	Circuit Switching	Packet Switching
Protocols used	TCP – Transmission Control Protocol	UDP – User Datagram Protocol

Reference

1. KUROSE, J.A.M.E.S.F. (2020) “Chapter 1: Computer Networks and the Internet,” in Computer networking. 8th edn. S.l.: PRENTICE HALL, pp. 29–82.

2. Network switching (2021) Tutorials Point. Available at: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/network-switching# (Accessed: October 19, 2022).

3. Difference between connection-oriented and connection-less services (2022) GeeksforGeeks. Available at: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-connection-oriented-and-connection-less-services/ (Accessed: October 19, 2022).

4. Difference between connection-oriented and connectionless service - javatpoint (2021) www.javatpoint.com. Available at: https://www.javatpoint.com/connection-oriented-vs-connectionless-service (Accessed: October 19, 2022).