1. An apparatus, comprising: a control module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device, the control module configured to receive, via a network and from a wireless access point that operatively couples a first client device to the network via a wireless link, a control packet defined based on a control protocol and associated with at least one control function of the wireless access point, the control module configured to receive, via the network and from an access network node that operatively couples a second client device to the network via a wired link, a control packet defined based on the control protocol and associated with at least one control function of the access network node, the control module configured to determine a status of the access network node based on the control packet from the access network node, the control module configured to send, via the network, a response to the access network node based on the status of the access network node.