Using “path” to mean an end-to-end reserved circuit or channel (not…
2024
Using “path” to mean an end-to-end reserved circuit or channel (not necessarily a separate cable), which statement best describes how circuit switching handles multiple simultaneous connections?
Answer: C. Separate physical paths are allocated for each channel — ConceptCircuit switching is connection-oriented: before data transfer begins, the network establishes an end-to-end circuit and reserves transmission…
- A.
A single path is used and shared for all data
- B.
It encodes all data into a single channel
- C.
Separate physical paths are allocated for each channel
- D.
All connections are multiplexed into a single channel
- E.
Question not attempted
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Correct answer: C
Concept
Circuit switching is connection-oriented: before data transfer begins, the network establishes an end-to-end circuit and reserves transmission resources for that connection until the circuit is released.
A circuit is a dedicated channel through the network. A physical link may carry several circuits in fixed time or frequency slots, but each connection retains its reserved share instead of contending for capacity packet by packet.
Application
For several simultaneous connections, the reservation rule is applied independently to each connection. If N connections are active, the network maintains N separately reserved circuits or channels through the switching fabric.
Cross-check and contrast
A single shared path for all data describes pooled use of one transmission resource without a dedicated circuit for each connection.
Encoding all data into one channel is a signal-combining operation, not the connection-reservation rule used by a switching network.
Multiplexing all connections into one channel describes stream sharing; circuit switching may use fixed multiplexing on a link, but the resulting circuits still have separately reserved resource shares.
Question not attempted is a response-state label rather than a statement about circuit switching.
Therefore, among the offered statements, the best description is that separate physical paths are allocated for each channel. Here “paths” means separately reserved circuits or channels; it does not require a different cable for every connection.