27Which switching method has the lowest level of latency?fast-forwardcut-throughfragment-freestore-and-forward

To determine which switching method has the lowest level of latency, let's analyze each of the options provided.

1. Fast-Forward: This switching method begins forwarding the packet as soon as the destination address is read rather than waiting for the entire packet to be received. This leads to lower latency.

2. Cut-Through: Similar to fast-forward switching, cut-through starts to forward the packet as soon as the header information is read. It's efficient and has low latency, but it can lead to increased chances of errors since the entire packet is not checked before forwarding.

3. Fragment-Free: This method is a variation where the switch waits until it reads the first 64 bytes of the packet (the fragment) before forwarding it. While it reduces the chance of forwarding corrupt packets, it introduces slightly more latency than cut-through.

4. Store-and-Forward: This method waits for the entire packet to be received before forwarding it. While it ensures that the packet is error-free, this method has the highest latency among the four.

Conclusion

Among the four switching methods, the fast-forward method generally has the lowest latency, followed closely by cut-through. Therefore, for minimal delay in packet switching, fast-forward is the best choice.