Patent ID: 8811242

Claim:
A method for providing a wireless local network comprising: transmitting a registering MAC address to a subnetwork by a communication entity registering with the subnetwork; a first node of the subnetwork comparing the registering MAC address with MAC addresses that are reachable via the subnetwork; upon a determination that the registering MAC address is disjoint of the reachable MAC addresses, the first node of the subnetwork connecting the registering communication entity in a manner of a station of the subnetwork; and upon a determination that the registering MAC address is not disjoint of the reachable MAC addresses such that the registering MAC address already is reachable via the subnetwork, the first node of the subnetwork implementing an approval procedure with the registering communication entity to prevent two different subscribers within the subnetwork having identical MAC addresses, the approval procedure comprising: the first node of the subnetwork sending a message to the registering communication entity that identifies a need for the registering communication entity to demonstrate ownership of the registering MAC address via a first route, the message sent by the first node of the subnetwork comprising a first item of check information, the first item of check information being transmitted as a hash code generated from a value produced as a pseudo-random code, the first route comprising a pre-existing route between the first node and a communication entity associated with the registering MAC address that is already reachable via the subnetwork; the registering communication entity sending a response message to the first node of the subnetwork via a second route that comprises the first item of check information in response to receipt of the message from the first node of the subnetwork the second route being a route to be established via registration of the registering MAC address, in response to receipt of the first item of check information via the second route, the first node of the subnetwork evaluating the received first item of check information to determine whether the received first item of check information received from the registering communication entity in the response message corresponds with stored check information associated with the registering MAC address.