Patent ID: 7349380

Claim:
A communications network for use with mobile wireless user terminals, said network comprising: a packet-switched core network; a plurality of access points within a same broadcast network and coupled to said core network, each said access point providing any said user terminal with communications access to said core network when said any user terminal becomes affiliated with said access point, and including an address resolution protocol cache for storing information representative of affiliation between said user terminals and said access points, and each said access point including means for updating its address resolution protocol cache with an Internet protocol address of a said user terminal when that said user terminal becomes affiliated with said access point, and further including means for issuing an address resolution protocol request which causes other said access points to update their respective address resolution protocol cache to indicate that said user terminal has changed its affiliation to said access point; and at least one of a media server, DNS server and an IP gateway router, each including a respective an address resolution protocol cache for storing information representative of affiliation between said user terminals and said access points and is updateable based on said address resolution protocol request.