Patent ID: 8582438

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a group of network devices configured to support network connectivity in a wired network for client devices that roam between wireless access points served by the respective network devices; at a first network device in the group, monitoring a load of the first network device, wherein the load is associated with resource utilization of the first network device; at the first network device, receiving from the other network devices in the group messages indicating load associated with the respective other network devices; when the load of the first network device meets a criterion comprising one of exceeding a predefined load level and being a higher load level relative to another network device, selecting a second network device from among the other network devices in the group that can take on additional load; detecting at the first network device a wireless client device that has associated with a wireless access point served by the first network device; and sending from the first network device to a second network device a request message comprising information configured to request that the second network device serve as the point of presence in the wired network for the wireless client device.