Internet Architecture: Packet Switching vs Circuit Switching (1969)
by Anonymous
ARPANET's designers chose packet switching over the telephone network's circuit switching. This made the network resilient (no single point of failure) and efficient (shared bandwidth), becoming the foundation of the internet.
Packet Switching
1969
year
No single point of failure — designed to survive nuclear attack
resilience
Shared bandwidth, dynamic routing
efficiency
Chose — became the Internet
outcome
Circuit Switching
1969
year
Single path — fails if any node goes down
resilience
Dedicated bandwidth per connection
efficiency
Remained for telephone until VoIP
outcome
Like this comparison? Make it your own.
Sign up to use as templateMore in History
Metric System Adoption (1790s-ongoing)
Metric System vs Imperial/Customary Units
Dutch Golden Age: Trade vs Territorial Empire (1602)
Trading Empire (VOC) vs Territorial Empire
WHO: Smallpox Eradication Strategy (1967)
Ring Vaccination (Surveillance + Containment) vs Mass Vaccination
Prohibition: Ban Alcohol or Regulate It (1920)
Total Prohibition (18th Amendment) vs Strict Regulation and Taxation
Jenner: Vaccination vs Variolation (1796)
Vaccination (Cowpox) vs Variolation (Smallpox) vs No Intervention
Roman Capital: Rome vs Byzantium (330 CE)
Constantinople (Byzantium) vs Keep Rome as Capital vs Nicomedia