Packet and Packet Switching
Packet-
A packet refers to the unit of data that is in passage between an origin and a destination on the Internet or any other packet-switched network. Every page that you receive on the Internet comes as a series of packets, and every e-mail you send leaves as a series of packets. Networks that ship data around in small packets are called packet switched networks. The TCP/IP protocol breaks large data files into smaller “packets” for swift transmission over the Internet. When the data reaches its destination, the protocol makes sure that all packets arrived without error. A typical packet contains perhaps 1,000 or 1,500 bytes. Packets are also referred to by other names like frame, block, cell or segment depending on the type of network.
Packet Switching-
Packet Switching refers to the method of moving data around the Internet that allows many people to use the same lines at the same time. In packet switching, all data being transferred from a source is divided into packets, with each packet bearing the address of its origin and destination. This enables packets from different sources to be simultaneously transferred, sorted and directed on the same line. Each packet is then transmitted individually and can even follow different routes to its destination. Once all the packets forming a message arrive at the destination they are reassembled into the original message. ,A packet-switching scheme is an efficient way to handle transmissions on a connectionless network such as the Internet
