Patent ID: 8600382

Claim:
A media gateway, comprising: a memory to store instructions; and a controller coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations, comprising: facilitating establishment of communications with a set-top box over a wireline network, wherein the media gateway supplies media services by way of a media services network communicatively coupled to the media gateway; facilitating establishment of communications with the set-top box over a wireless network; determining a first measure of communication between the media gateway and the set-top box in the wireless network for supplying the media services to the set-top box; determining a second measure of communication between the media gateway and the set-top box in the wireline network for supplying the media services to the set-top box; comparing the first measure of communication and the second measure of communication to a desired quality of service established by a service provider for processing media content at the set-top box; determining a network preference according to the comparing of the first measure of communication and the second measure of communication to the desired quality of service; identifying a device communicatively coupled to the wireless network and the wireline network and communicating with the media gateway over a select one of the wireless and wireline networks; directing the device to redirect previously directed media communications, resulting in redirected media communications, from a selected one of the wireless and wireline networks to an unselected one of the wireless and wireline networks according to a quality of service requirement of traffic for the device; coordinating with the set-top box to select one of the wireline network and the wireless network according to the network preference and according to the redirected media communications; monitoring the first and second measures of communication between the media gateway and the set-top box, and updating the network preference according to the monitoring of the first and second measures of communication; monitoring the redirected media communications; and coordinating with the set-top box to switch from a selected one of the wireless and wireline networks to an unselected one of the wireless and wireline networks according to the network preference and the redirected media communications, wherein the switching is limited to a fixed number of switches per time period.