Patent ID: 7319867

Claim:
A method of wirelessly maintaining a network interface card (NIC) on a wireless network, the NIC providing a communication interface between a host and the wireless network, the method comprising: setting an NIC connection notice mode, a host sleep mode, and an NIC power mode, wherein setting the NIC connection notice mode includes configuring the NIC to periodically transmit a “keep alive” signal to an access point of the wireless network in response to one of a plurality of access point signals, the “keep alive” signal indicating that the NIC card is wirelessly coupled to the access point, wherein setting the host sleep mode includes configuring the host during the sleep mode to wake up when at least one wake up command is received from the network via the access point and the NIC, and wherein setting the NIC power mode includes setting a main power source for the NIC to an alternate power source during the host sleep mode.