Patent ID: 7672459

Claim:
A wireless network access device operative to facilitate roaming in wireless networks, comprising a network interface; a processor; a memory comprising a key cache; a wireless network access application, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the network interface to receive master keys and corresponding wireless client identifiers from at least a second wireless network access device; and store the master keys and corresponding wireless client identifiers in the key cache; receive a request to associate to a wireless network from a wireless client; determine whether a valid master key associated with the wireless client is stored in the key cache; if the key cache does not contain a valid master key associated with the wireless client, then: proxy an authentication between a wireless client and an authentication server, wherein the authentication results in the generation of the master key for the wireless client; store the master key in association with an identifier in the key cache; transmit the master key and the identifier to at least one other wireless network access device; and generate, in connection with the wireless client, at least one encryption key for a wireless session with the wireless client based directly on the master key; otherwise, if the key cache contains a valid master key associated with the wireless client, then generate, in connection with the wireless client, at least one encryption key for the wireless session with the wireless client based directly on the master key in the key cache; and provide a mobility group identifier to the wireless client, wherein the mobility group identifier corresponds to a group of wireless network access devices that are configured to share and exchange master keys associated with wireless clients.