Patent ID: 8885531

Claim:
An access point comprising: a host device comprising a first network interface configured to communicate over a wired local-area network, and a first processor configured to transition from a first power mode to a second power mode, wherein the first processor consumes less power in the second power mode than in the first power mode; and a network device comprising a second network interface configured to communicate with a first client device over a wireless local-area network, and a second processor configured to transmit a beacon subsequent to the first processor transitioning to the second power mode, cause the second network interface to transmit probe response frames over the wireless local-area network without receiving a signal to do so from the first processor of the host device, receive a probe request signal from the first client device in response to the beacon, transmit a probe response signal to the first client device while the first processor is in the second power mode, wherein the probe response signal includes the probe response frames, receive an authentication frame from the first client device subsequent to transmitting the probe response signal, and signal the first processor to transition to the first power mode in response to the authentication frame, wherein the first processor is configured to authenticate the first client device via the network device during the first power mode.