Techniques for performing finite memory network coding in an arbitrary network limit an amount of memory that is provided within a node of the network for the performance of network coding operations during data relay operations. When a new data packet is received by a node, the data stored within the limited amount of memory may be updated by linearly combining the new packet with the stored data. In some implementations, different storage buffers may be provided within a node for the performance of network coding operations and decoding operations.