A method that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, by a system comprising a processor, interference information associated with one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) from each base station of a plurality of base stations. Further, the method can include determining, by the system, from the interference information a strategy for improving a PRB utilization of a first base station of the plurality of base stations. In addition, the method can include conveying, by the system, the strategy to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A multi-wide area network (WAN) incorporating both satellite-based communication networks and cellular networks (e.g., an LTE network) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the WAN is implemented with a communications framework comprising: an edge appliance comprising a satellite modem interconnect for coupling to a satellite modem external to the edge appliance, a cellular modem interconnect for coupling to a cellular modem external to the edge appliance, a switch coupled to the satellite and cellular modem interconnects, and a processing node coupled to the switch and comprising a router to switch traffic between the satellite modem interconnect and the cellular modem interconnect when the edge appliance communicates with a public data network using a satellite link or a terrestrial cellular link, respectively; and a connectivity platform configured for connection to the edge appliance, the connectivity platform comprising a broker/integrator component configured to operate as a broker and an integrator between the edge appliance and both connectivity service providers and business support systems that perform subscription management to enable the edge appliance access to the satellite and terrestrial cellular links.

A system that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may perform operations including, for example, a method of identifying, by a system comprising a processor, network communication degradation in one or more layers of a multi-layered communication protocol above a physical layer, wherein the network communication degradation is associated with communications taking place through a network, in part over a radio frequency link, between a plurality of communication devices, obtaining, by the system, data from a layer below the one or more layers of the multi-layered communication protocol identified as having the network communication degradation, determining, by the system, one or more geographic regions of the network associated with the network communication degradation from the data, and mitigating, by the system, effects of the network communication degradation in the one or more geographic regions of the network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A path control device controls a plurality of paths for transmitting signals through a network including a plurality of signal transfer devices that transfer signals while switching a first transmission period during which high-priority traffic can be transmitted and a second transmission period during which low-priority traffic can be transmitted. The path control device includes: a calculation unit that calculates a plurality of paths through which signals are transferred, based on network configuration information indicating a configuration of the network; an estimation unit that estimates paths for low-priority traffic so as to increase the number of low-priority traffic flows to be transferred during a predetermined period through the plurality of paths calculated by the calculation unit, in a case in which the plurality of signal transfer devices detect an end of high priority traffic in the first transmission period, in accordance with statistical values in the second transmission period based on a transmission schedule made to change the first transmission period after the end of high-priority traffic to the second transmission period; and a determination unit that determines, for each of the plurality of signal transfer devices, output destination setting information such that the paths estimated by the estimation unit are set to an output destination of low-priority traffic.

Packets in a data communications network are encapsulated by an encapsulation module on a sending computer and decapsulated on the receiver computer, the trans-mission of data packets being controlled by credit sent by the receiving computer. When overloaded, network switches trim the payload from packets; trimmed packets inform the receiving computer of the demands of the sending computer.

A method for forwarding a packet, and a network device are provided. Under the method: a first packet can be received. The first packet includes first indication information, payload data, and a packet sequence number of the first packet in a data flow corresponding to the first packet. When the first network device determines that the first packet includes the first indication information, a plurality of second packets can be generated based on the first packet. Each of the plurality of second packets includes the payload data, the packet sequence number, and second indication information; and separately forwarding, the plurality of second packets to a second network device over different forwarding paths in a plurality of forwarding paths.

A process and/or apparatus capable of providing alternative communication channels for facilitating network communication is disclosed. The process, in some embodiments, maintains a primary link which facilitates network communication between various attached devices and content providers. After identifying a cellular and wireless capable (“CWC”) device, a hybrid function of the CWC device is activated for providing one or more overlay channels between through the CWC device creating a secondary link for communications between the various attached devices and content providers. The process is then capable of offloading network traffic between the primary link and the secondary link, for example, based on the types of the network traffic.

A system that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may perform operations including, for example, a method of identifying, by a system comprising a processor, network communication degradation in one or more layers of a multi-layered communication protocol above a physical layer, wherein the network communication degradation is associated with communications taking place through a network, in part over a radio frequency link, between a plurality of communication devices, obtaining, by the system, data from a layer below the one or more layers of the multi-layered communication protocol identified as having the network communication degradation, determining, by the system, one or more geographic regions of the network associated with the network communication degradation from the data, and mitigating, by the system, effects of the network communication degradation in the one or more geographic regions of the network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for creating service chains for inter-cloud traffic. In some examples, a system receives domain name system (DNS) queries associated with cloud domains and collects DNS information associated the cloud domains. The system spoofs DNS entries defining a subset of IPs for each cloud domain. Based on the spoofed DNS entries, the system creates IP-to-domain mappings associating each cloud domain with a respective IP from the subset of IPs. Based on the IP-to-domain mappings, the system programs different service chains for traffic between a private network and respective cloud domains. The system routes, through the respective service chain, traffic having a source associated with the private network and a destination matching the IP in the respective IP-to-domain mapping.

A multipath capable communication device includes: a first communication path and a second communication path configured to provide data traffic to be transmitted; at least one control unit; a multipath scheduler configured to distribute data traffic to the first communication path and/or to the second communication path based on a first path metric; a first traffic shaper configured to limit the total bandwidth allocated to the communication device to a first adjustable bandwidth limiting value; and a second traffic shaper configured to limit the bandwidth allocated to the first communication path to a second adjustable bandwidth limiting value and/or a third traffic shaper configured to limit the bandwidth allocated to the second communication path to a third adjustable bandwidth limiting value. The at least one control unit is configured to control the multipath scheduler, the first traffic shaper, and the second traffic shaper and/or third traffic shaper.