Patent ID: 7512131

Claim:
A method comprising: deploying a broadband wireless network having at least one data transmission node and a plurality of CPE units; connecting the plurality of CPE units to an access point for the Internet using the at least one data transmission node, wherein there is a wireless data link at least in part between the data transmission node and the CPE units, and wherein network data traffic passes through the at least one data transmission node and the CPE units; using a gateway unit to establish an authorized data path between individual ones of the CPE units and the access point, wherein the gateway unit is not required to perform data stream prioritization or queuing to control the flow of data between the CPE units and the Internet; and initially deploying the broadband wireless network with at least one gateway unit and adding CPE units to the broadband wireless network substantially incrementally so that at least a part of the capability to control the network data traffic is added to the broadband wireless network substantially incrementally as opposed to being a capability required by the gateway unit when the broadband wireless network is initially deployed; wherein the management and configuration of the network is managed centrally and at least one of authorization, authentication, data stream prioritization or queuing is accomplished through the operation of the CPE units.