Processing delay

In a network based on packet switching, processing delay is the time it takes routers to process the packet header so that it can send it to the correct destination.

The time required to examine the packet's header and determine where to direct the packet is part of the processing delay.The processing delay can also include other factors,such as time needed to check for bit-level errors in the packet that occurred in transmitting the packet's bits from the upstream node to the router A.

Processing delays in high-speed routers are typically on the order of microseconds or less.After this nodal processing,the router directs the packet to the queue that precedes the link to router B.

References

• Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by Kurose and Ross