Patent ID: 7545754

Claim:
A method of discovering geographically adjacent access routers in a communication environment in which each of a plurality of access routers are communicably coupled between a network and one or more access points to provide access to the network for one or more mobile nodes in communication using at least one access point, the method comprising: a) receiving a link layer ID of a first access point with a mobile node that communicates with the network via a first access router and a second access point, where the second access point is different than and geographically adjacent to the first access point; downloading cached information stored at the first access router to the mobile node, the cached information including a plurality of link layer IDs, each associated with at least one network layer address, wherein the at least one network layer address identifies a second access router; and b) identifying a network layer address of the second access router, which is geographically adjacent to the first access router, with the link layer ID, wherein the second, geographically adjacent access router is associated with the first access point that is geographically adjacent to the second access point, wherein identifying the network layer address of the second access router comprises searching the downloaded cached information using the link layer ID to identify the network layer address of the second access router.