All online routing algorithms require some form of overhead associated with each message, typically in the form of a message header of one or two words holding the destination address, length, and so forth [18]. Offline-routed messages generally require no packet headers, since the message is identified by the scheduled time of transmission rather than by any data that it carries with it. In applications that send a large number of short messages, the headers can constitute a noticeable percentage of the total traffic carried, and avoiding their use can increase the bandwidth available to data.
As a simple example, consider an example where communications are typically messages with four data words; in this case, a dynamic router would add an additional word, increasing traffic in the mesh by 20%. All things being equal, a scheduled router would see 20% better bandwidth, along with improved latency.