The delivery of text-based messages (i.e. data packets) from a sending device to one or more receiving devices over a wireless LAN, presents special challenges. Typically, the message is routed through a wireless gateway where it is stored until it has been transmitted to, and stored within, an electronic mail server of the data network. Receiving devices are then able to retrieve stored messages from the electronic mail server at their convenience. The speed at which electronic messages are transmitted from a sending to a receiving device depends in part on how efficiently data packets are transported from a sending mobile device to an electronic mail server through wireless communication networks.
When a wireless gateway receives a data packet from a mobile device over a wireless network, the received data packet is sent to a destination electronic mail server. However, to ensure that the data packet is successfully transmitted to the destination electronic mail server and not lost in the meantime, the wireless gateway generally stores the data packet in an internal permanent storage device (e.g. a database server or a file system) before transmitting the data packet. Typically, the wireless gateway waits until the permanent storage device confirms storage of the data packet before proceeding with processing the data packet or even with sending acknowledgement of the receipt of the data packet back to the mobile device. This kind of storage procedure appreciably slows down the processing of data packets within the router.