Patent ID: 6907000

Claim:
A method for maintaining desirable transmission characteristics when sending data packets during a communication session occurring over a current path between a first interface and a second interface, each interface comprising a telephone network port and a computer network port, said first and second interfaces each being respectively located at a first and a second location on a computer network comprising: transmitting test packets from said first location to said second location over each of a plurality of paths including said current path, said paths other than said current path comprising a third location in each said path intermediate said first location and said second location; evaluating said test packets to determine acceptability of each path in response to the effect on said data packets of transmitting packets from said first location to said second location in each path; monitoring each path within the plurality of paths from the first location to the second location and identifying an acceptable best path different from said current path; and if said evaluating determines the effect on said data packets in said current path to be unacceptable, sending said data packets on one said acceptable path via the third location prior to sending said data packets to said second location.