Patent ID: 8600356

Claim:
A communication network for authenticating a mobile client and for allowing the mobile client to communicate with a server as the mobile client roams from one communication cell to another communication cell, the communication network comprising: a first base station controller coupled to a first transceiver station, the first transceiver station defining a first communication cell; a second base station controller coupled to a second transceiver station, the second transceiver station defining a second communication cell; an authentication center coupled to the first base station controller, the authentication center authenticating the mobile client, and creating a credential including a status of the authenticating; and an authentication interface coupled between the first base station controller and the second base station controller, wherein the authentication interface is configured for the first base station controller to communicate the credential including the status of the authenticating to the second base station controller, without communicating the credential including the status of the authenticating via the mobile client, as the mobile client roams from the first communication cell to the second communication cell, and wherein the second base station controller uses the credential including the status of the authenticating received from the first base station controller to make an access decision for the mobile client without re-authentication.