Distributed load balancing for access points

A wireless communication system, comprising:

• a plurality of access point devices;
• and
• a client load balancer configured to identify a best access point device of the plurality of access point devices for a requesting client device requesting access to one of the plurality of access point devices;
• each respective access point device of the plurality of access point devices being capable of communicating with the client load balancer and being configured to
• receive a probe request from the requesting client device;
• in response to the probe request, determine whether the requesting client device is new to the respective access point device;
• in response to a determination that the requesting client device is not new, retrieve a prior decision whether to accept or reject the requesting client device and determine whether the prior decision remains valid;
• and
• in response to a determination that the requesting client device is new or a determination that the prior decision is invalid,
• send a parameter request to the client load balancer asking for parameters associated with the best access point device, the parameter request including metrics associated with the respective access point device;
• receive the parameters associated with the best access point device in response to the parameter request;
• and
• use a decision logic engine operating on the respective access point device to hierarchically implement an aggressive approach, an inclined approach if the aggressive approach is non-determinative, and a fair approach if the inclined approach is non-determinative to determine whether to accept the requesting client device and send a response to the probe request from the requesting client device or to reject the requesting client device and not send the response to the probe request from the requesting client device, the aggressive approach configured to weight at least a first parameter between the respective access point device and the best access point device and compare relative to a first threshold value to assist in the determination, the inclined approach configured to weight at least an additional parameter between the respective access point device and the best access point device and compare relative to a second threshold value to assist in the determination, the fair approach configured to weight a number of connected devices between the respective access point device and the best access point device and compare against a third threshold value to assist in the determination.