Methods and apparatus to manage bandwidth in a wireless network

A method comprising:

• configuring a permissible public bandwidth associated with a public service set identifier and a private bandwidth associated with a private service set identifier for a communication path between a broadband remote access server and a wireless access point based upon a policy;
• establishing a communication session that utilizes the public service set identifier to access the wireless access point to establish a first communication link to implement the communication session, the communication session to employ translation between a first Internet protocol address used by a user device to communicate with the wireless access point and a second Internet protocol address used by a client application of the user device to communicate with a network resource via the communication session, the first Internet protocol address being unknown to the client application and replaceable with a third Internet protocol address corresponding to a second communication link without notifying the client application to enable the communication session between the client application and the network resource to continue after the first communication link is terminated;
• and
• terminating the first communication link to enforce the private bandwidth configured for the communication path between the broadband remote access server and the wireless access point, the private bandwidth being accessible collectively by a group of private users via the private service set identifier, the private bandwidth enforced based on a first value representative of the private bandwidth and a second value representative of the permissible public bandwidth configured for the communication path, the permissible public bandwidth being accessible collectively by a group of public users via the public service set identifier.

A tangible article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

• configure a permissible public bandwidth associated with a public service set identifier and a private bandwidth associated with a private service set identifier for a communication path between a broadband remote access server and a wireless access point based upon a policy;
• establish a communication session that utilizes the public service set identifier to access the wireless access point to establish a first communication link to implement the communication session, the communication session to employ a first Internet protocol address for a user device to communicate with the wireless access point and a second Internet protocol address for a client application of the user device to communicate with a network resource via the communication session, the first Internet protocol address being unknown to the client application and replaceable with a third Internet protocol address corresponding to a second communication link without notifying the client application to enable the communication session between the client application and the network resource to continue after the first communication link is terminated;
• and
• enforce the private bandwidth configured for the communication path between the broadband remote access server and wireless access point by terminating the first communication link, the private bandwidth being shareable among a group of private users via the private service set identifier, the private bandwidth enforced based on a first value representative of the private bandwidth and a second value representative of the permissible public bandwidth configured for the communication path, the permissible public bandwidth being shareable among a group of public users via the public service set identifier.