Peer-to-peer network connectivity status

1. A method for managing connectivity in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

responsive to a device being in the peer-to-peer network, determining whether to reduce an amount of checks for connectivity for the device in the peer-to-peer network;

responsive to a determination to reduce the amount of the checks for connectivity for the device in the peer-to-peer network, initiating, at the device, an attachment command to a number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network;

configuring the device to send a message indicating a status of the device to the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network without receiving a request for the status of the device;

determining whether a loss of connectivity has occurred, wherein the loss of connectivity occurs when the message from the device is not received within a desired period of time; and

responsive to a determination that the loss of connectivity has occurred, sending a loss message to the number of other devices indicating that the device is no longer connected to the peer-to-peer network,

wherein initiating the attachment command is based on a policy, the policy including instructions for allowing the device or one of the number of other devices to initiate the checks for connectivity in an order if the device or the one of the number of other devices is mobile and battery-powered.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile and battery-powered device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of other devices are fixed devices or mobile and battery-powered devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring the device to send the message indicating the status of the device to the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network without receiving the request for the status of the device comprises:

receiving an acknowledgement to the attachment command from at least one of the number of other devices;

selecting a proxy device;

notifying the proxy device that the at least one of the number of other devices also initiates the checks for connectivity;

configuring the device to send the message indicating the status of the device to the proxy device;

configuring the proxy device to record the status of the device; and

responsive to determining a loss of connectivity of the device, configuring the proxy device to send a loss message indicating the loss of connectivity of the device to the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

determining whether to reduce the amount of the checks for connectivity for the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network, wherein configuring the device to send the message indicating the status of the device to the proxy device is in response to a determination to reduce the amount of the checks for connectivity for the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprises:

receiving an acknowledgement to the attachment command from at least one of the number of other devices.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the order is the device and the number of other devices to take turns to initiate the checks for connectivity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the order is where the device and the number of other devices decide for each check for connectivity which device initiates the check for connectivity.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the status comprises a connectivity of the device.

10. A device comprising:

an antenna;

a transmitter configured to send first data using the antenna;

a receiver configured to receive second data using the antenna; and

a processor unit, operatively coupled to a memory, connected to the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the processor unit is configured:

to initiate an attachment command to a number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network;

to send a message indicating a status of the device to the number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network without receiving a request for the status of the device;

determine whether a loss of connectivity has occurred, wherein the loss of connectivity occurs when the message from the device is not received within a desired period of time; and

send a loss message to the number of other devices indicating that the device is no longer connected to the peer-to-peer network in response to a determination that the loss of connectivity has occurred,

wherein initiating the attachment command is based on a policy, the policy including instructions for allowing the device or one of the number of other devices to initiate the checks for connectivity in an order if the device or the one of the number of other devices is mobile and battery-powered.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor unit is further configured to:

receive an acknowledgement to the attachment command from at least one of the number of other devices; and

select a proxy device.

12. A network element in a peer-to-peer network comprising a processor unit operatively coupled to a memory for executing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor unit is configured:

to receive an attachment command from a device in the peer-to-peer network;

to forward the attachment command to a number of other devices in the peer-to-peer network;

to receive identification from the device or other devices in the peer-to-peer network indicating a mobile device; and

to determine whether to reduce an amount of checks for connectivity in the peer-to-peer network based on the identification indicating the mobile device, wherein reduction of the amount of checks for connectivity does not involve a request for a status of the device,

wherein the received attachment command is based on a policy transmitted by the network element, the policy including instructions for allowing the device or one of the number of other devices to initiate the checks for connectivity in an order if the device or the one of the number of other devices is mobile and battery-powered.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether to reduce an amount of checks for connectivity for the device in the peer-to-peer network is based on reception of identification from the device indicating the device is a mobile device.