A method of controlling automatic retransmission request (ARQ)-related timers in a broadband wireless access communication system is disclosed, by which reliability of a wireless link can be increased and the ARQ-related timers can be properly operated even in a handover situation. A mobile subscriber station temporarily stops an operation of the ARQ-related timers by informing a base station of a handover start when a handover situation occurs and restarts the stopped ARQ-related timers when the handover situation is finished.

The present invention is aimed at techniques for detecting the “partial loss” of an upper layer frame. One technique envisions a detection platform adapted to determine whether a packet is a final packet for a particular upper layer frame. A comparator platform then compares packets received free of transmission errors with variables indicative of whether all received packets in the particular upper layer frame have been received correctly when a final packet is detected. A transmission platform then sends a signal indicative of whether the packets received without transmission errors constitute the particular upper layer frame so that lost packets can be retransmitted quickly.

Systems and methods for ensuring data integrity in a mesh network. A mesh network can include multiple RF devices. Transmitting quality data in or on the mesh network is improved using communication validation functions. The communication validation functions ensure a reliable communication network, preserve data during a network outage, and validate data. The communication validation functions can measure or control data quality within a communication and analysis network. The communication validation function operates to control data quality, for example, by measuring the quality of wireless links, ensuring the presence of redundant links, testing the ability of the mesh network to establish a backup communication path, generating alarms based on communication thresholds, tracking the communication path followed by communication packets, and identifying placement locations for additional RF devices.

Systems and methods for grouping mesh networks. Mesh networks enable energy data to be transferred from an energy sensing device to a destination device using various networks and reduces the need to install metering stations. Embodiments of the invention join or group mesh networks that otherwise are not able to communicate. The connections between the grouped mesh networks can be passive using directional antennas or passive antennas or active using higher power RF devices, solar repeaters, mobile mesh devices, etc. The energy data is routed in a smart manner, by performing load balancing at gateways, by monitoring the signal to noise ratio of available communication paths, etc. Mesh clusters can also be created to define low power clusters, address blocking clusters, and frequency based clusters. Grouping clusters facilitates the efficient transfer of energy data from an energy sensing device to a energy management station.

Method and apparatus for clustered Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) acceleration where two or more SSL relays are connected in a cluster. Information is transferred between a first node (typically, the client) and one of the SSL relays where the transferred information is related to communication between the first node and a second node (typically, the server). The state information of an SSL connection between the first node and the one SSL relay is clustered. The clustering includes sharing the state information between the one SSL relay and each of the one or more SSL relays. Any of the SSL relays can take over all connections of another of the clustered SSL relays therefore, providing no interruption in the communication should any of the SSL relays fail.