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Most modern Wide Area Network (WAN) protocols,
including TCP/IP, X.25, and Frame Relay, are based on packet-switching technologies.
In contrast, normal telephone service is based on a circuit-switching technology,
in which a dedicated line is allocated for transmission between two parties.
Circuit-switching is ideal when data must be transmitted quickly and must
arrive in the same order in which it's sent. This is the case with most
real-time data, such as live audio and video. Packet switching is more efficient
and robust for data that can withstand some delays in transmission, such
as e-mail messages and Web pages. |
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