Patent ID: 7558960

Claim:
A system, comprising: an authentication server; a first access point having a wireless transceiver; a second access point having a wireless receiver that is within range of wireless signals sent by the first access point; a network coupling the authentication server, the first access point and the second access point; wherein the second access point establishes an authenticated, secure communication session with the authentication server; wherein the second access point is responsive to receiving a management frame with a source address corresponding to the first access point to request a key from the authentication server for validating management frames sent by the first access point via the authenticated, secure communication session; wherein the authentication server is responsive to the request from the second access point to provide the key for the first access point to the second access point via the authenticated, secure communication session; wherein the second access point is configured to verify the management frame originated from the first access point using the key provided by the authentication server; wherein the authentication server is configured to maintain a list of access points requesting a key for validating management frames for the first access point; wherein the second access point is added to the list responsive to requesting the key for validating management frames for the first access point; and wherein the authentication server is configured to automatically provide an updated key to the second access point responsive to the key for the first access point being updated.