SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ROUTING IP TELEPHONY DATA PACKET COMMUNCIATIONS

Systems and methods performed by a telephony device allow the telephony device to test the quality of multiple potential paths which can be used to conduct a telephony communication. By testing the conditions that presently exist, the telephony device can choose the path that is presently offering the best quality. A telephony communication may be setup over an initial path, and then subsequent testing may determine that it is best to switch to an alternate path offering better call quality. The initial path used for the telephony communication may be the one that offers the fastest initial connection. When multiple potential paths exist, the telephony communication may be conducted over a first path while keep alive messages are communicated over a second path so that the telephony communication can be quickly switched to the second path.