Abstract: A plurality of secondary stations (10.sub.a through 10.sub.n) are coupled to a primary station (8) by way of a shared communication medium (15, 16). The secondary stations (10.sub.a through 10.sub.n) sends information to the primary channel on the upstream channel. The primary station sending information to the secondary stations (10.sub.a through 10.sub.n) on a downstream channel. The power level of a secondary station (10.sub.n) is set at the power level stored in secondary station memory (55). The secondary station (10.sub.n) transmits a message to the primary station on the upstream channel. The primary station (8) receives the message, determines the power level of the received message, and sets the power level of the secondary device to the nominal power level.

Abstract: An apparatus (101, 110) and method for adaptive forward error correction in a data communication system (100) provides for dynamically changing forward error correction parameters based upon communication channel conditions, such as noise levels or error rates. In the method embodiment of the invention, data having a current degree of forward error correction is received (305), and a channel parameter is monitored (310), such as packet or bit error rates. A threshold level for the channel parameter is determined (315), and the monitored channel parameter is compared to the threshold level (320). When the channel parameter is not within a predetermined or adaptive variance of the threshold level, a revised forward error correction parameter having a greater or lesser degree of forward error correction capability is selected (330, 340, 350, 360), and the revised forward error correction parameter is transmitted (370).