Patent ID: 8295838

Claim:
A method of alerting a user of a wireless device to a possible drop of an active service by the wireless device in a wireless network having a plurality of access points for engaging in RF communications with the wireless device, the plurality of access points including at least one border access point, the at least one border access point being located on an edge of the wireless network, the active service operating over a connection between the wireless device and one of the plurality of access points, the method comprising: storing a list of designated border access point identifiers in memory on the wireless device, the list of designated border access point identifiers including only designated border access point identifiers; receiving an access point identifier from said one of the plurality of access points; comparing the received access point identifier with the list of designated border access point identifiers, wherein if the received access point identifier matches one of the designated border access point identifiers then the wireless device determines that said one of the plurality of access points is one of the at least one border access points; and based on the determination that said one of the plurality of access points is one of the at least one border access points, measuring a signal strength associated with the connection to the at least one border access point, determining whether said signal strength is lower than a first predetermined threshold and, if so, outputting an alert on the wireless device, and determining whether said signal strength is lower than a second predetermined threshold and, if so, terminating said service.