Patent ID: 8290163

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, at a wireless access point, a new password to replace a current password, wherein the current password is used for encrypting and decrypting messages between the wireless access point and a plurality of clients; creating, at the wireless access point, a first wireless message that includes the new password; encrypting the first wireless message using the current password used to communicate with the wireless access point; wirelessly transmitting the encrypted first wireless message from the wireless access point to one or more active clients, wherein the active clients are communicating with the wireless access point when the new password was received; receiving, at the wireless access point, a first responsive wireless message from one or more of the active clients, wherein the first responsive wireless message is encrypted using the new password; storing the current password as an old password in the wireless access point; replacing the current password with the new password in the wireless access point; receiving, at the wireless access point, a subsequent wireless message from a newly active client, wherein the newly active client commences communication with the wireless access point after the storing and replacing steps and wherein the subsequent wireless message is encrypted using the old password; determining, at the wireless access point, that the subsequent wireless message is encrypted with the old password; creating a second wireless message that includes the stored current password; encrypting the second wireless message using the old password; wirelessly transmitting the encrypted second wireless message to the newly active client; and receiving, at the wireless access point, a second responsive wireless message from the newly active client, wherein the second responsive wireless message is encrypted using the stored current password.