Patent ID: 7596376

Claim:
A wireless network access device, comprising: a network interface; a processor; a memory; and a wireless network access application, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the network interface to: store an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the wireless network access device; receive an association request from a wireless client, wherein the association request comprises a second IP address of a second wireless network access device with which the wireless client has been associated and a handoff counter value; transmit an association response to the wireless client; provide the IP address of the wireless network access device to the wireless client; transmit a mobility notification message identifying the wireless client to the second wireless network access device, the mobility notification message comprises the second IP address and the handoff counter value identified in the association request; store the handoff counter value in association with an identifier for the wireless client; receive a second mobility notification message from a third wireless network access device, the second mobility notification message identifies a second wireless client and a second handoff counter value, and the second wireless client has been associated with the wireless network access device; and compare the handoff counter value corresponding to the wireless client with the second handoff counter value corresponding to the second wireless client.