In one embodiment, a router receives a call request for establishing a multimedia exchange between two remote endpoints. The router selects a processing entity to manage a subset of connections with the remote endpoints according to an endpoint identification such as a remote address included in the call request. A different processing entity manages the remaining connections with the remote endpoints. Accordingly, the load of managing signaling for establishing the multimedia exchange is balanced between a plurality of processing elements that appear externally as a single entity such that modification of remote endpoint behavior is not required.