A method in a mobile station operating in a multi-protocol wireless network environment that supports a first wireless communication protocol and a second wireless communication protocol wherein the network environment allows the mobile station to seamlessly roam utilizing the first and second wireless communication protocols, the method comprising: establishing a first link layer connection over a first radio interface using the first wireless communication protocol with a first access point, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is a short-range wireless communication protocol; establishing a second link layer connection over a second radio interface using the second wireless communication protocol with a second access point, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a long-range wireless communication protocol and wherein the second link layer connection is maintained concurrently with the first link layer connection as a backup, inactive connection while the first link layer connection is available; presenting a common link layer interface to upper layers of a protocol stack; switching between the first and second link layer connections for communication; translating between the first wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; translating between the second wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; wherein a single link layer identifier corresponding to the mobile station is used in the first and second link layer connections; and wherein the switching from the first wireless link layer connection to the second wireless link layer connection comprises transmitting a long-range wireless communication protocol registration request message to the second access point to cause a forwarding path associated with the mobile station to include the second access point. establishing a first link layer connection over a first radio interface using the first wireless communication protocol with a first access point, wherein the first wireless communication protocol is a short-range wireless communication protocol; establishing a second link layer connection over a second radio interface using the second wireless communication protocol with a second access point, wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a long-range wireless communication protocol and wherein the second link layer connection is maintained concurrently with the first link layer connection as a backup, inactive connection while the first link layer connection is available; presenting a common link layer interface to upper layers of a protocol stack; switching between the first and second link layer connections for communication; translating between the first wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; translating between the second wireless communication protocol and the common link layer interface; wherein a single link layer identifier corresponding to the mobile station is used in the first and second link layer connections; and wherein the switching from the first wireless link layer connection to the second wireless link layer connection comprises transmitting a long-range wireless communication protocol registration request message to the second access point to cause a forwarding path associated with the mobile station to include the second access point. <EOS>