A wireless device is configured to switch data rates to account for temporary channel conditions or device configuration errors. Pre-selected data rates, more likely to achieve maximum goodput, are stored in a data rate table. The data rate table contains candidate data rates for each pre-selected data rate in the data rate table. When probe transmissions using the preselected data rates fail, dynamic rate probing is utilized to determine a possible cause and extent of the problem. The dynamic rate probing scheme transmits probe transmissions using the candidate data rates and tracks success or failure of these probe transmissions. An analysis of the probe transmissions is used to indicate a possible cause and/or extent of the problematic condition and to determine whether there is a need to reconfigure the data rates in the data rate table.