The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for determining a communications path to assign a communications over a packet network. For example, in one embodiment, the method includes determining at least two potential communications paths over a packet network over which a received communications request may be established by accessing network performance information associated with each node segment on the respective at least two potential communications paths. In one embodiment, the network performance information associated with each node segment includes a first set of network performance information for communicating in a first direction on the node segment and a second set of network performance information for communicating in a second direction on the node segment. The method determines a value indicative of communications operations associated with each potential communications path. The method then assigns and establishes a communications path to the communications request based on the determined values.