Patent ID: 8265041

Claim:
A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions to switch a first device from a first communications channel to a second communications channel in a predetermined ordered set of communications channels, wherein the program instructions are executable to perform: storing information regarding the predetermined ordered set of communication channels, wherein the predetermined ordered set of communication channels includes the first communications channel and the second communications channel; adjusting a value of a first counter of the first device to track data packet transmission errors between the first device and a second device using the first communications channel, wherein a value of a second counter that tracks the data packet transmission errors between the first and second device is independently maintained at the second device; providing the value of the first counter from the first device to the second device to synchronize the first counter and the second counter; and switching the first device to the second communications channel based on the information regarding the predetermined ordered set of communication channels, wherein said switching is performed only after the value of the first counter reaches a channel-switching threshold, wherein the second device switches to the second communications channel only after the second counter of the second device reaches the channel-switching threshold.