Approach For Providing Wireless Network Services Using Wireless Access Point Groups

A computer-readable medium for providing wireless communication services, the computer-readable medium carrying instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

• establishing a wireless access point (WAP) group having at least two wireless access points (WAP), and having a shared Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID);
• designating one of the WAPs in the WAP group as a master WAP;
• designating one or more of the other WAPs in the WAP group as slave WAPs, wherein the slave WAPs are each assigned to provide wireless services to one or more clients;
• the master WAP selecting a particular slave WAP from the WAP group to provide wireless communication services to a client, wherein the selecting the particular slave WAP is based upon:
• performance of communications channels used to carry communications between the client and the WAPs in the WAP group, and current loads for the WAPs in the WAP group;
• the master WAP designating the particular slave WAP to provide wireless communication services to the client;
• and
• wherein communications between clients and the WAPs in the WAP group are performed using the shared BSSID.

An apparatus for providing wireless communication services, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

• establishing a wireless access point (WAP) group having at least two wireless access points (WAP), and having a shared Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID);
• designating one of the WAPs in the WAP group as a master WAP;
• designating one or more of the other WAPs in the WAP group as slave WAPs, wherein the slave WAPs are each assigned to provide wireless services to one or more clients;
• the master WAP selecting a particular slave WAP from the WAP group to provide wireless communication services to a client, wherein the selecting the particular slave WAP is based upon:
• performance of communications channels used to carry communications between the client and the WAPs in the WAP group, and
• current loads for the WAPs in the WAP group;
• the master WAP designating the particular slave WAP to provide wireless communication services to the client;
• and
• wherein communications between clients and the WAPs in the WAP group are performed using the shared BSSID.

An apparatus for providing wireless communication services, the apparatus comprising:

• means for establishing a wireless access point (WAP) group having at least two wireless access points (WAP), and having a shared Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID);
• means for designating one of the WAPs in the WAP group as a master WAP;
• means for designating one or more of the other WAPs in the WAP group as slave WAPs, wherein the slave WAPs are each assigned to provide wireless services to one or more clients;
• means for the master WAP selecting a particular slave WAP from the WAP group to provide wireless communication services to a client, wherein the selecting the particular slave WAP is based upon:
• performance of communications channels used to carry communications between the client and the WAPs in the WAP group, and
• current loads for the WAPs in the WAP group;
• means for the master WAP designating the particular slave WAP to provide wireless communication services to the client;
• and
• wherein communications between clients and the WAPs in the WAP group are performed using the shared BSSID.