An apparatus for forming a gateway in a first local area network, the apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising: requesting assignment of a virtual discovery zone in a message to a domain name system-service discovery, DNS-SD, server when the first local area network is created, receiving the assignment of a virtual discovery zone from the DNS-SD server, the virtual discovery zone being a logical grouping of local area networks including the first local area network with a common DNS-SD service discovery zone that enables service discoveries over all services in the logical grouping of local area networks receiving a first message from a first device on the first local area network, the first message comprising a DNS-SD query for a service; determining that the service is not located on the first local area network; responsive to determining that the service is not located on the first local area network, providing a second message to the DNS-SD server, the second message comprising a DNS-SD query for the service; receiving, from the DNS-SD server, a third message generated by the DNS-SD server and comprising a DNS-SD response to the second message, the third message comprising information associated with the requested service indicating that the requested service is discovered elsewhere in the virtual discovery zone; and forwarding the third message to the first device, wherein the third message further comprises a DNS resource record that provides sleep characteristics of a device that hosts the requested service, the sleep characteristics comprising a current sleep state, sleep duration, and sleep periodicity. a processor; and a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising: requesting assignment of a virtual discovery zone in a message to a domain name system-service discovery, DNS-SD, server when the first local area network is created, receiving the assignment of a virtual discovery zone from the DNS-SD server, the virtual discovery zone being a logical grouping of local area networks including the first local area network with a common DNS-SD service discovery zone that enables service discoveries over all services in the logical grouping of local area networks receiving a first message from a first device on the first local area network, the first message comprising a DNS-SD query for a service; determining that the service is not located on the first local area network; responsive to determining that the service is not located on the first local area network, providing a second message to the DNS-SD server, the second message comprising a DNS-SD query for the service; receiving, from the DNS-SD server, a third message generated by the DNS-SD server and comprising a DNS-SD response to the second message, the third message comprising information associated with the requested service indicating that the requested service is discovered elsewhere in the virtual discovery zone; and forwarding the third message to the first device, wherein the third message further comprises a DNS resource record that provides sleep characteristics of a device that hosts the requested service, the sleep characteristics comprising a current sleep state, sleep duration, and sleep periodicity. requesting assignment of a virtual discovery zone in a message to a domain name system-service discovery, DNS-SD, server when the first local area network is created, receiving the assignment of a virtual discovery zone from the DNS-SD server, the virtual discovery zone being a logical grouping of local area networks including the first local area network with a common DNS-SD service discovery zone that enables service discoveries over all services in the logical grouping of local area networks receiving a first message from a first device on the first local area network, the first message comprising a DNS-SD query for a service; determining that the service is not located on the first local area network; responsive to determining that the service is not located on the first local area network, providing a second message to the DNS-SD server, the second message comprising a DNS-SD query for the service; receiving, from the DNS-SD server, a third message generated by the DNS-SD server and comprising a DNS-SD response to the second message, the third message comprising information associated with the requested service indicating that the requested service is discovered elsewhere in the virtual discovery zone; and forwarding the third message to the first device, wherein the third message further comprises a DNS resource record that provides sleep characteristics of a device that hosts the requested service, the sleep characteristics comprising a current sleep state, sleep duration, and sleep periodicity.