Disadvantages of Circuit Switching
- Limited scalability: Circuit switching is not well-suited for large-scale networks with many nodes, as it requires a dedicated communication path between each pair of nodes. This can result in a high degree of complexity and difficulty in managing the network.
- Vulnerability to failures: Circuit switching relies on a dedicated communication path, which can make the network vulnerable to failures, such as cable cuts or switch failures. In the event of a failure, the communication path must be re-established, which can result in delays or loss of data.
- Limited Flexibility: Circuit switching is not flexible as it requires a dedicated circuit between the communicating devices. The circuit cannot be used Waste of Resources for any other purpose until the communication is complete, which limits the flexibility of the network.
- Waste of Resources: Circuit switching reserves the bandwidth and network resources for the duration of the communication, even if there is no data being transmitted. This results in the wastage of resources and inefficient use of the network.
- Expensive: Circuit switching is an expensive technology as it requires dedicated communication paths, which can be costly to set up and maintain. This makes it less feasible for small-scale networks and applications.
- Susceptible to Failure: Circuit switching is susceptible to failure as it relies on a dedicated communication path. If the path fails, the entire communication is disrupted. This makes it less reliable than other networking technologies, such as packet switching.
- Not suitable for high traffic: Circuit switching is not suitable for high traffic, where data is transmitted intermittently at irregular intervals. This is because a dedicated circuit needs to be established for each communication, which can result in delays and inefficient use of resources.
- Delay and latency: Circuit switching requires the establishment of a dedicated communication path, which can result in delay and latency in establishing the path and transmitting data. This can impact the real-time performance of applications, such as voice and video.
- High cost: Circuit switching requires the reservation of resources, which can result in a high cost, particularly in large-scale networks. This can make circuit switching less practical for some applications.
- No prioritization: Circuit switching does not provide any mechanism for prioritizing certain types of traffic over others.
Circuit Switching in Computer Network
Circuit Switching is a type of switching, in which a connection is established between the source and destination beforehand. This connection receives the complete bandwidth of the network until the data is transferred completely.