Dynamic multi-path forwarding for shared-media communication networks

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate as one or more local links within a communication network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to:
• determine a quality of one or more links of a particular node in the communication network wherein the communication with the particular node is from the particular node to a particular destination;
• determine the quality of the one or more links as uplinks toward the destination;
• determine whether the quality of the one or more links is below a threshold;
• in response to determining that the quality of at least one of the one or more links is above the threshold, utilize a select one of the at least one of the one or more links with quality above the threshold for communication with the particular node;
• and
• in response to determining that the quality of each of the one or more links is below the threshold, utilize multi-path forwarding over the plurality of links for communication with the node by single-hop multicasting the communication from the particular node over the plurality of uplinks to a plurality of respective receivers.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

• determine a quality of one or more links of a particular node in a communication network;
• determine whether the quality of the one or more links is below a threshold;
• determine the quality of the one or more links as uplinks toward the destination;
• in response to determining that the quality of at least one of the one or more links is above the threshold, utilize a select one of the at least one of the one or more links with quality above the threshold for communication with the particular node;
• and
• in response to determining that the quality of each of the one or more links is below the threshold, utilize multi-path forwarding over the plurality of links for communication with the node by single-hop multicasting the communication from the particular node over the plurality of uplinks to a plurality of respective receivers.