Machine-readable media, methods, apparatus and system for determining a route metric are described. In some embodiments, a characteristic of a packet to be sent from a node to another node is analyzed. The characteristic of the packet may indicate at least one of a group consisting whether the packet is transmission quality sensitive and whether the packet is transmission throughput sensitive. Then, a weight relationship between a packet loss rate and a data rate may be determined, in which the weight relationship may vary with the characteristic of the packet. A route metric for a route from the node to the another node may be determined based upon the packet loss rate, the data rate and the weight relationship.