Patent ID: 8050241

Claim:
A method, in a wireless device, the method comprising: for at least one wireless network, storing on the wireless device a Service Set Identifier (SSID), at least one MAC address for a component in the network, and an indicator, the indicator indicating whether or not the stored SSID is expected to be provided with a MAC address for a component of the at least one wireless network; receiving, by means of passive scanning, a MAC address of a component in an available network; if the MAC address of the component of the available network is received with an SSID for the available network, comparing the received SSID with at least one stored SSID; if the received SSID matches the stored SSID and the indicator indicates that the SSID is not expected to be provided, updating the indicator to indicate that the SSID is expected to be provided; and if the MAC address of the component of the available network is received without an SSID, comparing the received MAC address with the at least one stored MAC address and if the MAC address of the component of the available network matches the at least one stored MAC address, obtaining the SSID stored in association with that MAC address; and if the MAC address of the component of the available network does not match any of the at least one stored MAC address, conducting a directed probe for availability of at least one wireless network having an indicator that the stored SSID is not expected to be provided.