  Quantum network coding has been proposed to improve resource utilization to
support distributed computation but has not yet been put in to practice. We
investigate a particular implementation of quantum network coding using
measurement-based quantum computation on IBM Q processors. We compare the
performance of quantum network coding with entanglement swapping and
entanglement distribution via linear cluster states. These protocols outperform
quantum network coding in terms of the final Bell pair fidelities but are
unsuitable for optimal resource utilization in complex networks with contention
present. We demonstrate the suitability of noisy intermediate-scale quantum
(NISQ) devices such as IBM Q for the study of quantum networks. We also
identify the factors that limit the performance of quantum network coding on
these processors and provide estimates or error rates required to boost the
final Bell pair fidelities to a point where they can be used for generation of
genuinely random cryptographic keys among other useful tasks. Surprisingly, the
required error rates are only around a factor of 2 smaller than the current
status and we expect they will be achieved in the near future.
