Patent ID: 8059599

Claim:
A system for establishing connectivity over a plurality of access network technologies, the system comprising: a client device configured to communicate over a network by utilizing a first wireless access interface and by utilizing a second wireless access interface; and a gateway in communication with said client device via said network for providing packet data to said client device, said gateway comprising: a common internal IP subnetwork residing in said gateway; a first wireless access interface termination node configured to communicate with said client device over said first wireless access interface, wherein said first wireless access interface termination node is further configured to terminate a first tunnel initiated by said client device into said common internal IP subnetwork residing in said gateway; a second wireless access interface termination node configured to communicate with said client device over said second wireless access interface, wherein said second wireless access interface termination node is further configured to terminate a second tunnel initiated by said client device into said common internal IP subnetwork residing in said gateway; and a gateway assignment manager configured to assign said client device to said gateway and said common internal IP subnetwork residing thereon, wherein said gateway assignment manager is further configured to maintain, without performing an IP-level handoff, the assignment of said client device to said gateway and said common internal IP subnetwork residing thereon when said client device switches from utilizing said first wireless access interface to utilizing said second wireless access interface.