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Abstract

A method includes constructing a data pattern for generating a reference signal to measure a specific channel characteristic, inserting the data pattern in an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo request from a primary station across a shared physical medium to a secondary station, receiving the echo request at the secondary station, transmitting an Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply in response to the echo request across the shared physical medium to the primary station, receiving the echo reply at the primary station, measuring a bit slicer error of the Internet Control Message Protocol echo reply, and characterizing the channel quality of the communications channel as a function of the bit slicer error. The corresponding channel quality may be measured for each of a plurality of channels in a multi-channel communications system of an Internet Protocol network and one of the plurality of channels may be selected having the best relative channel quality for routing a communications signal.

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First Claim