  In a system of processes that communicate asynchronously by means of FIFO
channels, there are many options in which these channels can be laid out. In
this paper, we compare channel layouts in how they affect the behaviour of the
system using an ordering based on splitting and merging channels. This order
induces a simulation relation, from which the preservation of safety properties
follows. Also, we identify conditions under which the properties reachability,
deadlock freedom and confluence are preserved when changing the channel layout.
