Patent ID: 8600386

Claim:
A method for configuring a wireless network comprising: providing a plurality of access points with a plurality of coverage areas, each access point configured to: provide radio network access via an air interface to at least one mobile station; and communicate with a core network via an IP network; wherein at least one of the plurality of access points is configured to perform a hand-in of a mobile station from a macrocell network comprising: registering the mobile station at the hand-in access point with the core network, the hand-in access point defining an anchor access point for the respective mobile station; and storing an association between the mobile station and the anchor access point within the network; the method further comprising: defining a cluster of the plurality of access points; independently registering each access point of the cluster with the core network; configuring each access point of the cluster for peer to peer communication with at least one other access point of the cluster; and configuring the plurality of cluster access points to: identify an anchor point for a mobile station when a communication requirement between the core network and the mobile station exists; and establish a communication path between the mobile station and the core network via the anchor access point irrespective of an access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station, the communication path comprising a link between the anchor access point and the access point of the cluster that is servicing the mobile station when the communication requirement exists.