Which queuing mechanism has no provision for prioritizing or buffering but simply forwards packets in the order they arrive?

The queuing mechanism that forwards packets in the order they arrive, without any prioritizing or buffering, is known as FIFO (First In, First Out). In FIFO queuing, packets are processed in the exact sequence they enter the queue. This model is simple and ensures that packets are transmitted in the order of their arrival, which can be effective in environments where all packets are treated equally without the need for prioritization.

FIFO is commonly used in situations where fairness is important, meaning that no single packet type is favored over others. However, this can lead to issues in networks where certain types of traffic may require faster processing and lower latency, as FIFO does not provide any mechanism to address such needs.

Other queuing mechanisms like priority queues, weighted fair queueing, and round-robin queues introduce varying degrees of complexity and aim to manage packet transmission based on specific criteria, such as prioritizing critical traffic or achieving fair bandwidth distribution among different types of traffic. In contrast, FIFO’s straightforward approach makes it distinct primarily for being non-discriminatory and simplistic.