1. A method for maintaining a route to an access point in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: transmitting an access point advertisement from the access point to at least one node of the network in a broadcast range of the access point; transmitting a route request message from said at least one node to the access point upon receipt of the access point advertisement with desired criteria by said at least one node; transmitting a reply message from the access point to said at least one node upon receipt of the route request message by the access point; rebroadcasting the access point advertisement from said at least one node to at least one other node of the network in a broadcast range of said at least one node; transmitting a route request message from said at least one other node to said at least one node upon receipt of the rebroadcast access point advertisement with desired criteria by said at least one other node; if a destination only flag of the route request message from said at least one other node is not set, the transmitting a reply message from said at least one node to said at least one other node, and a gratuitous reply message from said at least one node to the access point, upon receipt of the route request message by said at least one node; and if the destination only flag of the route request message is set, then forwarding the route request message from said at least one node to the access point.