Patent ID: 7362776

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a controller configured to be coupled to plurality of access points having a same coverage area, the controller is operable for controlling the operation of the plurality of access points and setting a maximum multicast bandwidth for the plurality of access points; the controller configured for processing an admissions control request for a multicast stream having a bandwidth received from a client coupled to a first of the plurality of access points; wherein the controller is configured to accept the admissions control request for the multicast stream responsive to determining the first access point is already servicing the multicast stream; wherein the controller is configured to accept the admission control request responsive to determining the multicast stream is not being serviced by another of the plurality of access points and the first of the plurality of access points has sufficient bandwidth to service the multicast stream; and wherein the controller is configured to redirect the client to a second of the plurality of access points responsive to determining the second of the plurality of access points is servicing the multicast stream.