An optical receiver includes an optical detector that is positioned to detect an optical data signal received from an optical channel generates a received electrical data signal at an output. An electrical switch passes one of the received electrical data signal and a second electrical signal depending upon a control signal applied to a control input. A data and clock recovery circuit generates a recovered clock and a recovered data signal when a signal-to-noise ratio of the received electrical signal is in a range where a signal locking condition is established, and generates the control signal at the control output that instructs the electrical switch to select the received electrical data signal if the signal locking condition is established and to select the second electrical signal if the signal locking condition is not established.