Virtual access point (vap) formation

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network;
• a processor coupled to the network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
• receive, from a plurality of access points in the network, data regarding a network availability request broadcast by a node seeking to access the network and received by the access points in the plurality;
• uniquely associate the node with a virtual access point for the node;
• form a virtual access point mapping between the virtual access point for the node and a set of the access points in the plurality selected based on the received data regarding the network availability request broadcast by the node, wherein one of the access points in the virtual access point mapping is designated as a primary access point for the node;
• instruct the primary access point to send a network availability response to the node that includes information for the virtual access point, wherein the node uses the information for the virtual access point to access the network via the set of access points in the virtual access point mapping.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by a supervisory device in a network to perform a process comprising:

• receiving, at the supervisory device and from a plurality of access points in the network, data regarding a network availability request broadcast by a node seeking to access the network and received by the access points in the plurality;
• uniquely associating, by the supervisory device, the node with a virtual access point for the node;
• forming, by the supervisory device, a virtual access point mapping between the virtual access point for the node and a set of the access points in the plurality selected based on the received data regarding the network availability request broadcast by the node, wherein one of the access points in the virtual access point mapping is designated as a primary access point for the node;
• instructing, by the supervisory device, the primary access point to send a network availability response to the node that includes information for the virtual access point, wherein the node uses the information for the virtual access point to access the network via the set of access points in the virtual access point mapping.