Patent ID: 8489716

Claim:
A wireless network system comprising: a plurality of utility nodes capable of receiving commodity meter information, the utility nodes connected in a utility network, at least some of the utility nodes including an in-premise interface; and at least one access point connected in the utility network, the access point providing to each of at least one of the plurality of utility nodes in the utility network, an indication of a block of network addresses allocated by the access point to be assigned by that utility node to in-premise devices registered with that utility node, wherein the block of network addresses allocated to any one utility node is unique with respect to the block of network addresses allocated to any other utility node by that access point; wherein, for said each of the at least one of the plurality of utility nodes in the utility network, the in-premise interface of said at least one utility node is configured to: interact with an in-premise device for the in-premise device to register with that utility node and for that utility node to select one of the network addresses of the block of network addresses allocated by the access point to that utility node, and assign the selected network address to the in-premise device registered with that utility node and for that utility node to provide an indication of the address assignment of the registered in-premise device for communication with the an in-premise device via the utility network.