A network shaping engine can be used to optimize network traffic by employing means to prioritize data packets assigned to a network traffic class over other network traffic. The network shaping engine accomplishes network traffic optimization by determining whether received data packets comprise a traffic class mark or indicia that indicates the data packets are part of a minimum latency traffic class. After analyzing the packets, the network optimization engine sorts the data packets according to the identified traffic classes and transmits the packets. Data packets comprising a traffic class marking are transmitted according to a first transmission scheme while data packets that do not comprise a traffic class marking are transmitted according to a second transmission scheme that differs from the first transmission scheme.