Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus that features initiating a device discovery process for attempting to establish a connection between two or more devices via short range communications technology, wherein at least one of the two or more devices having an existing link to another wireless network; and suspending the link to the other wireless network before starting the device discovery. One of the devices may be a node, point or terminal, including a station or access point. The wireless network may include a wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth® (BT), ultra wide band (UWB), wireless USB or other suitable wireless network either now known or later developed in the future. The short range communications technology may include Bluetooth®, as well as other short range communications technology either now known or later developed in the future.

Abstract: A method and system for setting up a local service session in a short-range communications network receives preconfiguration information over a long-range network, and establishes the local service session in the short-range communication network using the received preconfiguration information. The preconfiguration information relates to the establishment of the local service session in the short-range communication network. Accordingly, the received preconfiguration information may include an address of a remote short-range communications device, such as a a Bluetooth device address (BD_ADDR). The received preconfiguration information may also include security information, such a personal identification number (PIN), and/or one or more encryption keys. In addition, the preconfiguration information may include an identifier of an offered short-range service, as well as an identifier indicating a location where the short-range service is offered.