Method and system for enabling seamless roaming in a wireless network

(54) METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING SEAMLESS ROAMING IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

(75) Inventor: David B. Crosbie, Somerville, MA
(US)

Correspondence Address:
Mary Lou Wakimura

HAMILTON, BROOK, SMITH & REYNOLDS,
P.C.

Two Militia Drive

Lexington, MA 02421-4799 (US)

(73) Assignee: Bluesocket, Inc., Burlington, MA 01803

(21) Appl. No.: 09/911,092

(22) Filed: Jul. 23, 2001

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Non-provisional ol provisional application No. 60/220,385, filed on Jul. 24, 2000.

Publication Classification

(51) Int. CI.7 H04L 9/32; H04L 12/22

(52) U.S. CI 713/201; 713/153; 709/229

(57) ABSTRACT

A gateway server manages connections in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The gateway server provides context information, such as an IP address, that is stored alter being previously allocated to a mobile device in a previous connection to the WLAN. The gateway server reassigns the IP address to the mobile device alter it reconnects to the WLAN alter a disconnection, thus providing seamless roaming for the mobile device from WLAN to WLAN (or subnets within one WLAN) without requiring the user ol the device to re-register. The gateway server also provides cluster information (e.g., as part ol the context information) for a mobile device making a new connection to the WLAN, such as access privileges associated with the cluster ol users ol the mobile devices. The gateway server also provides load balancing among two or more WLAN's by directing a newly connection mobile device to another WLAN (or subnet), il less congestion results.