A node apparatus includes a header processing section (2) for determining an output destination of an incoming packet and a quality class from the header information of the packet, a route table (3), and a quality description table (4), and storing the packet in an output queue (6) determined by the determined output destination and quality class, an output control section (7) for reading out a packet from the output queue in accordance with the quality set for each output queue (6) and sending out the read packet through a VC determined by the determined output destination and quality class.