Patent ID: 7215677

Claim:
A method for balancing load in a wireless local area network having a plurality of access points for servicing mobile stations under control, each access point having a unique Service Set Identifier (SSID), and broadcasting a load frame indicating its load to the other access points in every predetermined period of time, when a first access point receives a load frame from a second access point indicating that the load of the second access point is larger than that of the first access point, the first access point issuing a show-SSID-rejection frame to the second access point, the method comprising the steps of: (A) after resetting an access point, the access point entering a SSID hidden state for hiding its SSID so as to prohibit mobile stations from accessing the access point; (B) when in the SSID hidden state, an access point entering into a SSID showing state for showing its SSID and for enabling mobile stations to couple to the access point if no show-SSID-rejection frame is received; (C) when in the SSID showing state, an access point entering into a SSID pre-hiding state for showing its SSID if the show-SSID-rejection frame is received; and (D) when in the SSID pre-hiding state, an access point entering into the SSID hidden state if the show-SSID-rejection frame is received, otherwise the access point entering into the SSID showing state.