Communicating with a distribution system via an uplink access point

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to:

receive, at a first network device, an original DHCP discover message from a client device;

identify a first transaction ID in the original DHCP discover message;

generate a second transaction ID;

generate a modified DHCP discover message from the original DHCP discover message by:

replacing the first transaction ID in the original DHCP discover message with the second transaction ID; and

setting a broadcast bit of the modified DHCP discover message to a broadcast state; and

forward the modified DHCP discover message from the first network device to a second network device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second network devices are access points, and the second network device is connected to a distribution system via a wired Ethernet connection.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

create a DHCP state entry for the client device, wherein the DHCP state entry includes an originator-XID field for storing the first transaction ID, a generated-XID field for storing the second transaction ID and a field for storing a broadcast bit of the original DHCP discover message.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

receive, at the first client device, an original DHCP offer message from the second network device;

identify that a transaction ID of the original DHCP offer message is the second transaction ID;

identify that a client ID in the original DHCP offer message is a MAC address of the client device;

generate a modified DHCP offer message from the original DHCP offer message by replacing the transaction ID of the original DHCP offer message with the first transaction ID; and

forward the modified DHCP offer message to the client device according to a broadcast bit of the original DHCP discover message.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

receive, at the first network device, an original DHCP request message from the client device, the original DHCP request message including the first transaction ID;

generate a modified DHCP request message from the original DHCP request message by:

replacing the first transaction ID in the original DHCP request message with the second transaction ID; and

setting a broadcast bit of the modified DHCP request message to the broadcast state; and

forward the modified DHCP request message from the first network device to a second network device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

receive, at the first client device, an original DHCP acknowledgement message from the second network device;

identify that a transaction ID of the original DHCP acknowledgement message is the second transaction ID;

identify that a client ID in the original DHCP acknowledge message is the MAC address of the client device;

generate a modified DHCP acknowledgement message from the original DHCP acknowledgement message by replacing the transaction ID of the original DHCP acknowledgement message with the first transaction ID; and

forward the modified DHCP acknowledgement message to the client device according to a broadcast bit of the original DHCP request message.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

receive an ARP request from the second network device;

determine that the ARP request includes an IP address of the client device; and

generate an ARP response that maps the IP address of the client device to a MAC address of the first network device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the system to also:

detect a removal of the client device from the first network device; and

deactivate service for the client device from the first network device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing embedded instructions for a plurality of operations that are executed by one or more mechanisms implemented within one or more network devices, the plurality of operations comprising:

receiving, at a first network device, an original DHCP discover message from a client device;

identifying a first transaction ID in the original DHCP discover message;

generating a second transaction ID;

generating a modified DHCP discover message from the original DHCP discover message by:

replacing the first transaction ID in the original DHCP discover message with the second transaction ID; and

setting a broadcast bit of the modified DHCP discover message to a broadcast state; and

forwarding the modified DHCP discover message from the first network device to a second network device.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the first and second network devices are access points, and the second network device is connected to a distribution system via a wired Ethernet connection.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises:

creating a DHCP state entry for the client device, wherein the DHCP state entry includes an originator-XID field for storing the first transaction ID, a generated-XID field for storing the second transaction ID and a field for storing a broadcast bit of the original DHCP discover message.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises:

receiving, at the first client device, an original DHCP offer message from the second network device;

identifying that a transaction ID of the original DHCP offer message is the second transaction ID;

identifying that a client ID in the original DHCP offer message is a MAC address of the client device;

generating a modified DHCP offer message from the original DHCP offer message by replacing the transaction ID of the original DHCP offer message with the first transaction ID; and

forwarding the modified DHCP offer message to the client device according to a broadcast bit of the original DHCP discover message.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises:

receiving, at the first network device, an original DHCP request message from the client device, the original DHCP request message including the first transaction ID;

generating a modified DHCP request message from the original DHCP request message by:

replacing the first transaction ID in the original DHCP request message with the second transaction ID; and

setting a broadcast bit of the modified DHCP request message to the broadcast state; and

forwarding the modified DHCP request message from the first network device to a second network device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises:

receiving, at the first client device, an original DHCP acknowledgement message from the second network device;

identifying that a transaction ID of the original DHCP acknowledgement message is the second transaction ID;

identifying that a client ID in the original DHCP acknowledge message is the MAC address of the client device;

generating a modified DHCP acknowledgement message from the original DHCP acknowledgement message by replacing the transaction ID of the original DHCP acknowledgement message with the first transaction ID; and

forwarding the modified DHCP acknowledgement message to the client device according to a broadcast bit of the original DHCP request message.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of operations further comprises:

receiving an ARP request from the second network device;

determining that the ARP request includes an IP address of the client device; and

generating an ARP response that maps the IP address of the client device to a MAC address of the first network device.