A packet

$-$

switching network is using a virtual circuit to transmit data from the

source to the destination node. In a given instance of data transmission, a message

of size

$56$

$$octets is to be transmitted from node X to node Y

$.$

$$The virtual circuit

designed has

$3$

$$intermediate nodes, a

$,$

$$b

$,$

$$and c

$.$

$$Each packet in the network has a

$4$

$-$

octet header that contains the control information. Determine the time of transmission of the message sent from X to Y in each of the following cases:

a

$.$

$$The entire message is sent as a single packet.

b

$.$

$$The message is sent by dividing it into two packets.

c

$.$

$$The message is sent using

$7$

$$packets$.$

d

$.$

$$The message is sent using

$14$

$$packets$.$

What conclusion can you draw from the above observation? Assume that the transmission time in each hop is the same.