A distribution system for large scale IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs

We present extensions to the IEEE 802.11 WLAN architecture to facilitate the deployment and operation of large-scale networks. A new distribution system (DS) is designed to work across IP networks removing the need for an Ethernet backbone. APs connected to different IP networks can join the DS to form a single WLAN, with link-layer mobility support for users. Two entities, portal and registry, are added to support self-configuration of access points, transport across the IP backbone and link layer mobility for stations. These extensions are transparent to the stations; they do not require any modification to work with the new architecture. Our DS design allows operators to share access points.