A software based wireless infrastructure system comprising: a station driver for communicating with a first network stack and a first network interface card in communication with a wireless LAN, wherein the first network interface card is for receiving 802.11 packets from the wireless LAN, and for passing the received 802.11 packets to the station driver, wherein the station driver is adapted to convert the received 802.11 packets to 802.3 packets and to indicate the 802.3 packets up to the first network stack; a station server in communication with the station driver and an 802.1X supplicant, wherein the 802.1X supplicant is for sending and receiving 802.1X packets via said station server to and from the station driver and wherein the station driver is adapted to send and receive the 802.1X packets to and from the first network interface card; an access point driver for communicating with a second network interface card and one of a network bridge and a second network stack in communication with a wired network, the second network interface card in communication with the wireless LAN, wherein the second network interface card is for receiving 802.11 packets from the wireless LAN, and for passing the received 802.11 packets to the access point driver, wherein the access point driver is adapted to convert the received 802.11 packets to 802.3 packets and to indicate the 802.3 packets up to the second network stack; and an access point server in communication with the access point driver and said 802.1X authenticator, wherein the 802.1X authenticator is for sending and receiving 802.1X packets via said access point server to and from the access point driver and wherein the access point driver is adapted to send and receive the 802.1X packets to and from the second network interface card. a station driver for communicating with a first network stack and a first network interface card in communication with a wireless LAN, wherein the first network interface card is for receiving 802.11 packets from the wireless LAN, and for passing the received 802.11 packets to the station driver, wherein the station driver is adapted to convert the received 802.11 packets to 802.3 packets and to indicate the 802.3 packets up to the first network stack; a station server in communication with the station driver and an 802.1X supplicant, wherein the 802.1X supplicant is for sending and receiving 802.1X packets via said station server to and from the station driver and wherein the station driver is adapted to send and receive the 802.1X packets to and from the first network interface card; an access point driver for communicating with a second network interface card and one of a network bridge and a second network stack in communication with a wired network, the second network interface card in communication with the wireless LAN, wherein the second network interface card is for receiving 802.11 packets from the wireless LAN, and for passing the received 802.11 packets to the access point driver, wherein the access point driver is adapted to convert the received 802.11 packets to 802.3 packets and to indicate the 802.3 packets up to the second network stack; and an access point server in communication with the access point driver and said 802.1X authenticator, wherein the 802.1X authenticator is for sending and receiving 802.1X packets via said access point server to and from the access point driver and wherein the access point driver is adapted to send and receive the 802.1X packets to and from the second network interface card.