Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

What technology does the Internet rely on to deliver data across networks?

1. Circuit-switching

2. Frame-relay

3. Packet-switching

4. Store-and-forward

The correct answer is: Packet-switching

The correct choice is based on the fundamental way the Internet transmits data. Packet-switching is a method that breaks down data into smaller packets before sending them across a network. Each packet is transmitted independently and may take different paths to reach the destination, where they are reassembled in the correct order. This approach is highly efficient, as it allows multiple communications to share the same network resources, optimizing bandwidth and reducing latency. Packet-switching contrasts with circuit-switching, which establishes a dedicated communication path between two points for the duration of the transmission. This approach can lead to wasted bandwidth when the connection is idle and is not scale-efficient for the diverse and high-volume data traffic characteristic of the Internet. Frame-relay, while a method for connecting devices in a network using packet-switching principles, is more specific to certain types of wide area networks (WANs) and is not the fundamental technology powering the Internet itself. Store-and-forward is a technique often used in email systems and some data transmission methods, where data is temporarily stored before forwarding. However, it is less relevant to the core operational mechanism of the Internet, which continuously transmits packets in real-time. Thus, packet-switching is essential for the functioning of the Internet, enabling reliable, efficient