Patent ID: 8711817

Claim:
A wireless device adapted to connect to a first network using a first protocol and a second network using a second protocol, the wireless device comprising: a radio; a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, implement components comprising: a first virtual interface adapted to interface with the first network and a second virtual interface adapted to interface with the second network; a first media access control (MAC) module adapted to control the radio in accordance with the first protocol, to receive messages from the radio, and to associate each message received by the first MAC module with a first type of tag, wherein the first type of tag indicates reception of the associated message via the first network; a second MAC module adapted to control the radio in accordance with the second protocol, to receive messages from the radio, and to associate each message received by the second MAC module with a second type of tag, wherein the second type of tag indicates reception of the associated message via the second network; and a multiplexing module adapted to selectively route messages from the first MAC module and the second MAC module to either the first virtual interface or the second virtual interface based on the tags associated with each message by the first MAC module or by the second MAC module, wherein the components are operable to: originate a first message to be sent through an access point for the first network by communicating the first message through the second network to at least one bridging device, wherein the at least one bridging device is adapted to bridge the first message between the second network and the access point; bridge a second message that is to be sent through the access point by receiving the second message over the second network and indirectly bridging the second message to the access point via at least one bridging device; and bridge a third message that is to be sent through the access point by receiving the third message over the second network and directly bridging the third message to the access point.