Question

Circuit Switching aims at providing a better service through the reservation of the circuit (i.e. circuit is dedicated). Now, considering only the perspective of the communicating users over a Circuit Switching network (i.e. you should not be concerned with the entire utilization of the network or the advantages to other users), is it possible that Circuit Switching may actually end up harming its users instead of providing a better service to them. If yes, provide a scenario/case that shows that. If no, explain why this service will indeed provide the best service to its users at all times.

Answer 1

No, it is not possible that Circuit Switching may actually end up harming its users instead of providing a better service to them.

In circuit switching:
- The throughput is limited by the number of circuits allocated.
- Connection setup and teardown adds overhead.
- Reliability depends on any single router in the circuit.
- It may be easier to sniff information.