Content delivery system special network device and special local area network connection, content discovery, data transfer, and control methods

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and infrastructures for interacting with SNDs and SLANs are described. In one embodiment, a network arrangement comprises: a plurality of access points that are part of one or more existing networks and operable to individually address and communicate with each other to form a local area network (LAN) to transfer data between two or more of the plurality of access points using point-to-point links independent of their function in the one or more existing networks, wherein each access point of the plurality of access points is associated with a cache to store content that may be forwarded, via one or more direct point-to-point transfers between access point pairs of the plurality of access points, to other access points in the plurality of access points in response to transfer request messages to transfer the content; and wherein each access point has a mapping indicative of a first set of one or more access points of the plurality of access points, if any, for which said each access point is to repeat messages and, for each access point in the first set, a first list of one or more access points in the plurality of access points from which the messages are to be forwarded once received if necessary, with no two access points in the plurality of access points that are directly connected to a third access point repeating a same message to the third access point.