Router network architectures
Routers are a major source of delay in packet networks as they store packets completely before they are forwarded (store-and-forward). The delay through a router network can be partially controlled by designing the network such that even the paths that give the longest transfer latency will have an acceptable delay. This promises, however, to be very difficult to ensure in network overload situations. Sequence integrity is not guaranteed in a router network, if load-balancing is activated, or when routes are updated. Packet loss is unpredictable in a router network.