A packet switched network is a type of digital network that transfers data by breaking it into smaller units called packets, which are then transmitted independently across a network of nodes (such as routers and switches) to their destination, where the data is reassembled into its original form.
When you send data (like an email, a web page, or a file), the information is divided into small packets. Each packet contains a header (with information such as source and destination addresses, sequencing, and error checking) and a payload (the actual data being sent). Each packet may take a different path through the network, depending on current traffic conditions and network topology. This is called store-and-forward: each node receives, stores, and forwards packets toward their destination, optimizing for efficiency and reliability. At the destination, packets are reassembled in the correct order to reconstruct the original message or file, even if they arrived out of order.