A method an apparatus of communicating data, such as in a sending node or a receiving node of networked system, includes transmitting via a network connection having at least M data channels at least one data block, the data block having M data bits having an original data bit order, in a full transmission bit order at a full data block transmission rate via a full network data path comprising M functioning data channels. The method and apparatus further includes transmitting the at least one data block in a degraded transmission bit order at a degraded data block transmission rate via a selected degraded network data path comprising at least one, but less than M, functioning data channels.