A local area network which is multi-path in nature and uses many small programmed nodes interconnected by low bandwidth cables with a typical data transfer rate of 9600 BPS. Connections between pairs of devices on the network are obtained by a flooding technique at the start of communications which is performed by a network control program resident in each node. Data transmitted between devices connected to the network is packetized and routed through the network via the nodes identified by the flooding operation. Packet transmission through node output ports is buffered and multiplexed so as to reduce degradation in response time by heavy traffic monopolizing a node output port.
