Patent ID: 7613196

Claim:
A method for operating a network system, the method comprising: receiving, at an access point coupled to a network, identification information from a portable computing device, wherein the identification information indicates a network destination of a plurality of possible network destinations, the access point configured to provide access to the plurality of possible network destinations, wherein the access point includes a memory medium which stores a data structure comprising a list of identification information entries each indicating at least one network destination of the plurality of possible network destinations; wherein at least a subset of the identification information entries each indicate one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs); wherein each virtual local area network (VLAN) specifies a network destination; determining the network destination from the plurality of possible network destinations according to the identification information after receiving the identification information, wherein said determining the network destination includes accessing the memory medium and using the received identification information to determine the network destination; receiving, at the access point, data communications from the portable computing device; and routing the data communications from the portable computing device through the network destination; wherein said routing the data communications from the portable computing device to the network destination comprises using a VLAN specified by the identification information.