Patent ID: 7873020

Claim:
A method comprising: at a first controller controlling and having one or more secure links to one or more respective access points of a wireless network: receiving a plurality of data packets including at least one predetermined identifier operative to identify one or more multicast groups, the first controller controlling access point functionality of the first controller's respective access points; maintaining a controller-maintained client state data structure including an entry for any client of any access point controlled by the first controller, the entry for a client including multicast group information for the client; selecting the data packets of the received data packets that match information in the client state data structure; and forwarding the controller-selected data packets to one or more of the access points controlled by the first controller, such that a first access point controlled by the first controller and maintaining a multicast group data structure of one or more multicast groups that any client or clients associated with the first access point are members of, as a result of receiving the controller-selected packets forwarded by the first controller, is operative to: look up the first access point's multicast group data structure, select the data packets of the controller-selected received packets that match information in the multicast group data structure, and wirelessly transmits the access-point-selected packets, wherein the controlling of the access point functionality of an access point by the access point's controller uses commands conforming to a protocol and sent to the respective access point via the secure link to the access point.