Network identifiers for WLAN using multiple communication links

1. A method for simultaneously communicating in multiple frequency segments corresponding to respective communication links, the method comprising:

assigning, at a first communication device, a first basic service set (BSS) color identifier (ID) to a first communication link among the multiple communication links;

assigning, at the first communication device, a second BSS color ID to a second communication link among the multiple communication links;

assigning, at the first communication device, an association identifier (AID) to a second communication device, the AID to be used for communication in the first communication link and the second communication link;

using, at the first communication device, the first BSS color ID and the AID when communicating with the second communication device via the first communication link, wherein communicating with the second communication device via the first communication link includes transmitting, from the first communication device to the second communication device via the first communication link, a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) addressed to the second communication device, the first PPDU including a first physical layer (PHY) preamble that includes the first BSS color ID; and

using, at the first communication device, the second BSS color ID and the AID when communicating with the second communication device via the second communication link, wherein communicating with the second communication device via the second communication link includes one of i) transmitting, from the first communication device to the second communication device via the second communication link, a second PPDU addressed to the second communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the second communication device having a second PHY preamble that includes the second BSS color ID, or ii) receiving, at the first communication device from the second communication device via the second communication link, a second PPDU addressed to the first communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the first communication device having a third PHY preamble that includes the second BSS color ID;

wherein transmitting the first PPDU to the second communication device via the first communication link overlaps in time with the one of transmitting the second PPDU to the second communication device via the second communication link or receiving the second PPDU from the second communication device via the second communication link.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

assigning the first BSS color ID to the first communication link includes transmitting, by the first communication device, via the first communication link a first frame that includes an indication of an assignment of the first BSS color ID to the first communication link; and

assigning the second BSS color ID to the second communication link includes transmitting, by the first communication device, via the second communication link a second frame that includes an indication of an assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

transmitting the first frame includes transmitting a first beacon frame via the first communication link, the first beacon frame including the indication of the assignment of the first BSS color ID to the first communication link; and

transmitting the second frame includes transmitting a second beacon frame via the second communication link, the second beacon frame including the indication of the assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

using the second BSS color ID when communicating via the second communication link overlaps in time with using the first BSS color ID when communicating via the first communication link.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

using the second BSS color ID when communicating via the second communication link comprises, while transmitting the first PPDU via the first communication link, transmitting, by the first communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the second communication device via the second communication link.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

using the second BSS color ID when communicating via the second communication link comprises, while transmitting the first PPDU via the first communication link, receiving, at the first communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the first communication device via the second communication link.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning, by the first communication device, a third BSS color ID to the first communication link without changing the assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.

8. A first communication device, comprising:

a wireless network interface device that is configured to communicate via multiple frequency segments, the wireless network interface device having one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices configured to:

assign a first basic service set (BSS) color identifier (ID) to a first communication link among multiple communication links corresponding to respective frequency segments,

assign a second BSS color ID to a second communication link among the multiple communication links,

assign an association identifier (AID) to a second communication device, the AID to be used for communication in the first communication link and the second communication link,

use the first BSS color ID and the AID when communicating with the second communication device via the first communication link, wherein communicating with the second communication device via the first communication link includes transmitting, from the first communication device to the second communication device via the first communication link, a first physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) addressed to the second communication device, the first PPDU including a first physical layer (PHY) preamble that includes the first BSS color ID, and

use the second BSS color ID and the AID when communicating with the second communication device via the second communication link, wherein communicating with the second communication device via the second communication link includes one of i) transmitting, from the first communication device to the second communication device, a second PPDU addressed to the second communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the second communication device having a second PHY preamble that includes the second BSS color ID, or ii) receiving, at the first communication device from the second communication device, a second PPDU addressed to the first communication device, the second PPDU addressed to the first communication device having a third PHY preamble that includes the second BSS color ID, and wherein transmitting the first PPDU to the second communication device via the first communication link overlaps in time with the one of transmitting the second PPDU to the second communication device via the second communication link or receiving the second PPDU from the second communication device via the second communication link.

9. The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

transmit, via the first communication link, a first frame that includes an indication of an assignment of the first BSS color ID to the first communication link; and

transmit, via the second communication link, a second frame that includes an indication of an assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.

10. The first communication device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

transmit the first frame as a first beacon frame transmitted via the first communication link, the first beacon frame including the indication of the assignment of the first BSS color ID to the first communication link; and

transmit the second frame as a second beacon frame transmitted via the second communication link, the second beacon frame including the indication of the assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.

11. The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

use the second BSS color ID when communicating via the second communication link during a same time period as using the first BSS color ID when communicating via the first communication link.

12. The first communication device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

while transmitting the first PPDU via the first communication link, transmit the second PPDU addressed to the second communication device via the second communication link.

13. The first communication device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

while transmitting the first PPDU via the first communication link, receive the second PPDU addressed to the first communication device via the second communication link.

14. The first communication device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more IC devices are configured to:

assign a third BSS color ID to the first communication link without changing the assignment of the second BSS color ID to the second communication link.