An apparatus for wireless communication in a network, comprising:
- (a) a wireless communication circuit configured for wirelessly communicating with at least one other wireless communication station having multi-band communications capability;
- (b) wherein said multi-band communications capability comprise communications over a directional millimeter-wave (mmW) band, and over a sub-6 GHz band;
- (c) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit within a station configured for operating on a wireless network;
- (d) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor;
- and
- (e) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor, perform steps comprising:
- (i) operating said wireless communication circuit as a new node attempting to join the wireless network, by performing steps comprising:
- (A) transmitting a message containing a discovery assistance request over the sub-6 GHz band which requests discovery assistance on the mmW band;
- (B) receiving a discovery assistance response over the sub-6 GHz band from a node on the wireless network;
- and
- (C) switching to the mmW band and starting transmission or reception according to information received in the discovery assistance request and discovery assistance response exchange to discover neighboring wireless communication stations during a beamforming process;
- (ii) operating said wireless communication circuit as a network node already connected to the wireless network and is configured for aiding any new nodes attempting to join the wireless network, by performing steps comprising:
- (A) announcing its discovery assistance capability by transmitting a message in the sub-6 GHz band which includes an indication that discovery assistance on mmW band is enabled;
- (B) transmitting a message on the sub-6 GHz band which includes a discovery assistance response generated in response to receiving a discovery assistance request from any new node attempting to join the wireless network;
- and
- (C) switching to mmW band and transmitting or receiving messages according to information received in the discovery assistance request and discovery assistance response exchange to discover this new node in a beamforming process.