Rate adaptation for data communication

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a first device via a channel of a communication medium, a data transmission, wherein a code rate is associated with the data transmission;
• determining a value of at least one signal characteristic of the data transmission, wherein the at least one signal characteristic comprises a physical data rate, an amount of modulation on the channel, a number of carrier frequencies for a level of modulation on the channel, and an error rate of the data transmission;
• responsive to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being below a low signal characteristic threshold, adjusting the code rate lower for subsequent data transmissions from a second device to the first device via the channel;
• and
• responsive to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being above a high signal characteristic threshold, adjusting the code rate higher for subsequent data transmissions from the second device to the first device via the channel.

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface configured to receive, via a channel of a communication medium, multiple data transmissions, wherein a code rate of multiple code rates is associated with each data transmission of the multiple data transmissions;
• a PHY rate detection unit communicatively coupled to the network interface, the PHY rate detection unit configured to determine, based on signal characteristics of the multiple data transmissions, the data transmission from among the multiple data transmissions having a preferred physical data rate;
• and
• a code rate selection unit configured to set a code rate for the channel for communication from a different apparatus via the channel of the communication medium, to the code rate of the data transmission having the preferred physical data rate.

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface configured to receive, via a channel of a communication medium, a data transmission, wherein a code rate is associated with the data transmission;
• a PHY rate detection unit communicatively coupled to the network interface, the PHY rate detection unit configured to determine a value of at least one signal characteristic of the data transmission, wherein the at least one signal characteristic comprises a physical data rate, an amount of modulation on the channel, a number of carrier frequencies for a level of modulation on the channel, and an error rate of the data transmission;
• and
• a code rate selection unit configured to:
• responsive to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being below a low signal characteristic threshold, adjust the code rate lower for subsequent data transmissions from a second device to the first device via the channel;
• and
• responsive to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being above a high signal characteristic threshold, adjust the code rate higher for subsequent data transmissions from the second device to the first device via the channel.

A computer program product for data transmission, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code configured to:
• receive, at a first device via a channel of a communication medium, multiple data transmissions, wherein a code rate of multiple code rates is associated with each data transmission of the multiple data transmissions;
• determine, based on signal characteristics of the multiple data transmissions, the data transmission from among the multiple data transmissions having a preferred physical data rate;
• and
• set a code rate for the channel for communication from a second device to the first device via the communication medium, to the code rate of the data transmission having the preferred physical data rate.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving, via a channel of a communication medium, a data transmission, wherein a code rate is associated with the data transmission;
• means for determining a value of at least one signal characteristic of the data transmission, wherein the at least one signal characteristic comprises a physical data rate, an amount of modulation on the channel, a number of carrier frequencies for a level of modulation on the channel, and an error rate of the data transmission;
• means for adjusting the code rate lower for subsequent data transmissions from a second device to the first device via the channel, in response to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being below a low signal characteristic threshold, adjust the code rate lower for subsequent data transmissions from a second device to the first device via the channel;
• and
• means for adjusting the code rate higher for subsequent data transmissions from the second device to the first device via the channel, in response to the value of the at least one signal characteristic being above a high signal characteristic threshold, adjust the code rate higher for subsequent data transmissions from the second device to the first device via the channel.