Patent ID: 8705502

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first interface; a second interface configured to communicate with an access point coupled with a distribution network; a controller that sends and receives data via the first and second interfaces; wherein the controller receives a first frame via the second interface; wherein the controller determines whether the first frame is a distributed-via-mirroring frame intended for bridges based on data contained within a predefined header of the first frame; wherein the controller determines whether the first frame has an address associated with the apparatus in a predefined field of the predefined header of the first frame responsive to determining the first frame is a distributed-via-mirroring frame intended for bridges; wherein the controller selectively discards the first frame responsive to determining the first frame has the address associated with the apparatus in the predefined field of the predefined header of the first frame; wherein the controller receives a second frame via the second interface; wherein the controller determines whether the second frame is a distributed-via-mirroring frame intended for bridges based on data contained within a header of the second frame; wherein the controller determines whether the second frame has an address associated with the apparatus in a predefined field of the header of the second frame responsive to determining if the second frame was sent by itself and should be discarded; and wherein the controller selectively forwards the second frame for transmission by the first interface responsive to determining the second frame does not have the address associated with the apparatus in the predefined field of the header of the second frame.