Mobile station mobility in a wireless LAN

A method of facilitating mobility of a mobile station in a wireless local area network (WLAN) comprising:

• associating a mobile node Internet Protocol (MNIP) address with the mobile station;
• establishing a first communications link between the mobile station and a first WLAN access point (AP) in a first subnet;
• associating the mobile station to the first AP in the first subnet and associating a first WLAN Internet Protocol (WLAN IP) address with the mobile station;
• establishing a second communications link between the mobile station and a second WLAN AP in a second subnet;
• initiating a tunnel between the first subnet and the mobile station through the second subnet as the mobile station associates with the second WLAN AP if the first subnet is different than the second subnet and wherein the second WLAN AP initializes the tunnel between the first subnet and the second subnet to support a persistent connection as the mobile station transitions between the first subnet and the second subnet and for the duration of the persistent connection so that without another address being assigned to the mobile station;
• and
• terminating the tunnel when the persistent connection is no longer needed.

A mobile station operating and facilitating mobility within a wireless local area network (WLAN), the mobile station comprising:

• a transceiver operable to support communications links within the WLAN;
• a controller cooperatively operable with the transceiver;
• to associate a mobile node Internet Protocol (MNIP) address with the mobile station;
• to establish a first communications link with a first WLAN access point (AP) in a first subnet, to associate with a first WLAN IP address in the first subnet, and to use the first WLAN IP address for an application in the first subnet;
• to establish a second communications link with a second WLAN AP when the mobiles station transitions between the first subnet to a second subnet;
• and
• to use the first WLAN IP address established with the first subnet for a persistent connection in the second subnet without another address being assigned to the mobile station when the application benefits from a persistent connection and for the duration of the persistent connection.

An access point (AP) operating and facilitating mobility within a wireless local area network (WLAN), the AP comprising:

• a transceiver operable to support communications links within the WLAN;
• a controller cooperatively operable with the transceiver:
• to establish a communications link to a mobile station;
• to recognize when the mobile station uses a first WLAN internet protocol (WLAN AP) address that is different from IP address range supported by the AP;
• to initiate a tunnel to a first subnet upon recognition that the first WLAN IP address is different from the IP address range supported by the AP and wherein the tunnel supports a persistent connection as the mobile station transitions to the first subnet and for the duration of the persistent connection so that mobile station uses the WLAN IP address during the persistent connection without another address bring assigned to the mobile station;
• and
• to terminate the tunnel when the persistent connection is no longer needed.