Patent ID: 7596368

Claim:
Wireless access point apparatus for use in each of the access points in a wireless network in which a plurality of access points communicate with each other over wireless links, the wireless network being connectable to an authentication server, the wireless access point apparatus comprising: an authenticator processing unit for passing authentication information from a device that requests authentication and mediating authentication processing by the authentication server by a predetermined authentication method; a supplicant processing unit for supplying authentication information to an authenticator device and requesting the authentication processing by the predetermined authentication method; and a function selector for selecting one of the authenticator processing unit and the supplicant processing unit when an unconnected access point is detected within communication range, an unconnected access point being any one of the access points that does not yet have a secure wireless link with the access point including the function selector; wherein the selected one of the authenticator processing unit and supplicant processing unit operates to establish a secure wireless link with the unconnected access point.