Packet Switching: One innovation that made the present day Internet possible

I think the best way to understand packet switching would be if you compared it to two people conversing over a phone at a long distance. So, packet switching would be a way to "double check" information sent and received. So, for example if two people are talking and one wants a reservation at a Hotel in another state or country the conversation would go something  like this: " Hello. I want to book a room for 2 people on such and such a date. The person listening might say, "Just to confirm you want to book a room for two people on such and such a date. The person calling might say, "That is correct. Then the person called possibly at the hotel would say something like: "What name do you want that reservation under?" And the other person might say, "John Smith". And the hotel clerk might say, "Would you spell that please?" "J o h n S m i t h". "Thank you. Now would you like us to hold that room with a Visa Card or an American Express or what?" The person then says which card."

Then the other person says please give me the number when you are ready." The other person reads off the card number. Then the other person repeats the card number. Then the hotel clerk says, "So, now you have a room for two people reserved on such and such a date that you have reserved with your credit card number --------------". And the other person says, "That's correct." and then asks, "What is my confirmation number?" And the other person recites that number. The other person says it is ------------". The other person says, 'That's correct. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
They both say no and thank each other and then they hang up.

This is exactly what packet switching does only it is done between machines and not between people. And those machines can be located at any location on earth under the right conditions. What I described here is the humanization of Packet Switching between two terminals anywhere on earth.

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Packet switching