What is packet$-$switching?

occurs when the sending computer divides a message into a number of efficiently sized units called packets, each of which contains the address of the destination computer

a model for applications in which the bulk of the back$-$end processing, such as performing a physical search of a database, takes place on a server, while the front$-$end processing, which involves communicating with the users, is handled by the clients

refers to the geometric arrangement of the actual physical organization of the computers and other network devices$)$ in a network

an intelligent connecting device that examines each packet of data it receives and then decides which way to send it onward toward its destination