A concept for providing processes and apparatus for router resource management is described. One process for managing router congestion in a distributed communications system includes monitoring messaging traffic originating from a plurality of clients and determining when one or more of the plurality of clients deviates from an accepted congestion management protocol. The process also includes rank ordering those clients of the plurality according to the egregiousness of their deviation from the protocol to determine a worst offender and dropping packets from the worst offender of the plurality.