Method and apparatus for predicting the quality of packet data communications

A communication quality prediction device, comprising:

• a communication network interface operable to send and receive packet data, wherein said communication quality prediction device is in communication with first and second network devices;
• memory operable to store operating code;
• a processor operable to run said operating code, wherein said first network device is queried for network parameter status information after a first address segment is received and prior to initiation of a communication, wherein said second network device is queried for network parameter status information after a second address segment is received and prior to initiation of the communication, and wherein a prediction regarding an expected communication quality is made;
• and
• a communication quality indication output, wherein a user is provided with an indication of said prediction regarding an expected communication quality, wherein in response to an acceptable communication quality prediction a communication over the network is initiated, and wherein in response to an unacceptable communication quality prediction a communication over the network is deferred.

A method, comprising:

• receiving a request to initiate a communication over a communication channel;
• querying a network device regarding at least first network parameter status information;
• and
• in response to receiving said at least a first network parameter status information, predicting a present quality of said communication channel;
• signaling said predicted present quality of said communication quality to a user making said request to initiate a communication, wherein said request to initiate a communication comprises receiving from said user at least a first address segment, and wherein said at least a first network parameter status information is related to a portion of said communication channel indicated by said at least a first address segment, and wherein at least a second address segment is required in combination with the first address segment to complete the communication.

A system for predicting communication channel quality, comprising:

• means for querying at least a first network device for network parameter status information;
• means for predicting communication channel quality using said network parameter status information in response to receipt of a first address segment, and for querying at least a second network device for network parameter status information in response to receipt of a second address segment;
• and
• means for communicating said predicted communication channel quality to a user, wherein in response to a predicted unacceptable communication channel quality, a communication using the communication channel is deferred.