An apparatus and method are provided including a point-to-point cluster link configured to receive a data packet and determines a cyclic redundancy code check for the data packet. The point-to-point cluster link is configured to add a cyclic redundancy code check bit to the data packet transmitted to the point-to-point inter-cluster link, to clear the cyclic redundancy code check bit when the data packet is received, and to sample a cyclic redundancy code window to identify a corrupted data packet.