Functions of Data Networks
In general, the vast majority of today’s networks are store and forward networks in that stored data is forwarded from its source to its destination in a series of hops when it is convenient to do so.
While the store and forward technique has several disadvantages (eg., it is difficult to transmit voice because the transmission delays are highly variable), it has the advantage that results in more affordable networks and it allows errors to be detected and corrected through retransmission.