Device Abstraction in Autonomous Wireless Local Area Networks

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing embedded instructions that are executed by one or more mechanisms implemented within an access point to perform a plurality of operations comprising:

• transmitting, by an access point in a plurality of access points to other access points in the plurality of access points, an Internet Protocol (IP) address conflict check request to determine if any of the other access points are using a particular IP address;
• in response to the particular IP address being used by one of the other access points:
• selecting, by the access point, a second IP address for self-assigning to the access point;
• and
• in response to the particular IP address not being used by one of the other access points:
• self-assigning, by the access point, the particular IP address.

A network device serving as an access point in a plurality of access points comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface;
• a transmitting mechanism coupled to the processor, the transmitting mechanism transmitting to other access points in the plurality of access points an Internet Protocol (IP) address conflict check request to determine if any of the other access points are using a particular IP address;
• and
• a selecting mechanism coupled to the processor, the selecting mechanism selecting a second IP address for self-assigning to the access point in response to the particular IP address being used by one of the other access points;
• and
• an assigning mechanism coupled to the processor, the assigning mechanism self-assigning the particular IP address in response to the particular IP address not being used by one of the other access points.