Data communications are effected over one or more network branches to ensure appropriate receipt of data at different devices on the network. In accordance with an example embodiment, time-based communications are effected for a plurality of different network devices, at least two of which are connected to a common wired network link, with each network device being assigned to communicate during different time slots within a communication cycle. Each communication received on the common wired network link is assessed as being error-indicative or not error-indicative. In response to a received communication on the common wired network link being assessed as being error-indicative, the common wired network link is operated to corrupt data received on the branch, such as by driving the branch during a time slot in which the error-indicative communication is received, therein ensuring that other network devices disregard the data received during that time slot.