packet switching

The method used to move data around on the Internet. Packet switching breaks all of the data coming out of a machine into chunks, and each chunk has the addresses of where it came from and where it is going. Chunks of data from many different sources commingle on the same transmission lines and are sorted and directed to different routes by special machines along the way. This kind of technology enables users to send and receive information on the same lines at the same time.

See also : packet  
NetLingo Classification: Technical Terms

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