Patent ID: 7839771

Claim:
A method for recovering from a failure of a wired link used for communication between a first access point and a wired network, said first access point having at least two radios including a first radio and a second radio each for providing a wireless communications link, the method comprising: selectively configuring said radios in an access mode, each said radio in said access mode for enabling a communications path with a corresponding client node to enable each said client node to have a communication path via said first access point to the wired network, wherein said first radio is enabled to be associated with a first client node, and wherein said second radio is enabled to be associated with a second client node; and providing a communications path for said first and second client nodes to the wired network in response to detection of loss of the wired link to said first access point by selectively reconfiguring said second radio to a backhaul mode, comprising: detecting said loss of the wired link to said first access point; disassociating any client node from said second radio; detecting a neighboring access point which can provide a link to the wired network for said first access point; causing said second radio to provide a wireless link to said detected neighboring access point; and causing said first access point to enable any client nodes associated with said first radio and any client nodes that had been associated with said second radio to have a communication path to the wired network via said first radio wireless link, said second radio wireless link, and said detected neighboring access point's wired link; wherein the second radio is used solely for the wireless link to said detected neighboring access point while the wired link to the first access point is lost.