A communication device determines that a data rate of a data packet exceeds a threshold, and in response, lowers a processing speed of an equalizer device to prevent a buffer from overflowing. The buffer stores outputs generated by the equalizer device. A forward error correction code decoder device of the communication device processes outputs of the equalizer device corresponding to the data packet to generate decoded information corresponding to the data packet. The communication device transmits an acknowledgment packet to acknowledge the data packet such that transmission of the acknowledgment packet begins within required time period, defined by a communication protocol, after an end of the data packet.