Final answer:
Packet switching is a method where data are divided into packets and transmitted over a digital network. It is a reliable, connection-oriented system but is different from circuit-switching, where a dedicated channel is required.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristics mentioned are associated with the technique known as packet switching. Packet switching is a digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data into suitably sized blocks, called packets. Packet switching is more efficient and robust for data transfer over networks. Here is how the mentioned characteristics relate to packet switching:
- Connection-oriented: This usually refers to a type of packet-switched network where a connection is established before any data can be sent. TCP is an example of a connection-oriented protocol.
- Reliable: Packet switching is reliable in that each packet can be resent if an acknowledgment is not received.
- Divides data into packets: This is the fundamental characteristic of packet switching, where data are divided into packets, each with a header containing destination information, before being transmitted over the network.
- Circuit-switched: This is actually the opposite of packet switching. In circuit-switching, a dedicated channel is established for the duration of a transmission, unlike the packet switching approach, which does not require such a dedicated path.
So, while 'a' and 'd' are not typically associated with packet switching, 'b' and 'c' are indeed genuine characteristics of this type of networking technique.