Patent ID: 7647046

Claim:
A method in a first access point of a wireless network, the first access point in communication with a set of at least one associated client station, the method comprising: reducing the transmit power of wireless communication used to wirelessly transmit information to each client station of the set; and wirelessly transmitting a management frame, the management frame containing data that explicitly indicates that the first access point will be going offline, the data that explicitly indicates including information indicative of time, such that each associated client station of the set can eventually wirelessly roam to a second access point as a result of the received signal strength or signal quality at the client falling below a pre-defined threshold prior to the first access point going offline, and such that a particular client station receiving the management frame and interpreting the data, if associated with the first access point can eventually wirelessly roam to another access point, and if not associated with the first access point, can avoid associating with the first access point.