Patent ID: 9596607
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04W

Claim:
1. A method of supporting layer-three (L 3 ) mobility in a wireless local area network (WLAN) of several access points using at least a cloud-based controller and an anchor access point, the method comprising: storing at the anchor access point a master session key (MSK) associated with a roaming wireless client device, wherein the master session key (MSK) is generated during an authentication process associated with the roaming wireless client device at the anchor access point for the roaming wireless client device, the anchor access point being a first particular access point of the several access points in the WLAN where the roaming wireless client device initially connected to the WLAN to initiate a wireless session, the anchor access point being a member of a first subnet associated with a first internet protocol (IP) address; when a cloud-based controller is available to the anchor access point: when the cloud-based controller is unavailable to the anchor access point: enabling, by at least the cloud-based controller, formation of an IP tunnel between a second particular access point in the first set of access points or in the proximate set of access points in the WLAN to which the roaming wireless client device has roamed and the anchor access point, the IP tunnel allowing the roaming wireless client device to maintain the first IP address associated with the anchor access point for the wireless session regardless of whether the second particular access point belongs to the first subnet or to the second subnet.