A method begins by a first computing device generating an initial routing plan that identifies network paths for transmitting encoded data slices of an encoded data segment from the first computing device to a second computing device. The method continues with the first computing device sending a plurality of subsets of encoded data slices to network paths. Within a network path, the method continues by a relay unit determining whether the network path defined by the initial routing plan requires adjusting. When the network path requires adjusting, the method continues with the relay unit establishing an adjusted network path by at least one of adding a relay unit and deleting a relay unit. The method continues with the relay unit sending, via the adjusted network path, the corresponding subset of encoded data slices to the second computing device.