A datagram with a destination network address is received at a router. The router identifies a next hop router en route to or associated with the destination network address. The router determines whether or not transmission of the datagram on a link to the next hop router would result in a bandwidth usage exceeding a bandwidth threshold associated with the next hop router. If not, the router updates the bandwidth usage associated with the next hop router to account for the datagram, and transmits the datagram to the next hop router. If so, the router selects among other possible next hop routers en route to or associated with the destination address, another next hop router for which transmission of the datagram on a link to the other next hop router would not result in a bandwidth usage exceeding a bandwidth threshold associated with the other next hop router. Then, the router updates the bandwidth usage associated with the other next hop router to account for the datagram, and transmits the datagram to the other next hop router. If, among the other possible next hop routers, there is no other next hop router for which the transmission of the datagram on the respective link would result in the bandwidth usage being less than the respective bandwidth threshold, then the router chooses among the other possible next hop routers, another next hop router. Then, the router updates the bandwidth threshold associated with the other, chosen next hop router with a larger, predefined bandwidth threshold.