Disclosed herein are techniques by which a Layer-2 entity determines whether a mobile terminal requesting association or reassociation therewith determines whether the requesting mobile terminal shall continue using its current IP address or whether it requires a new IP address. The Layer-2 entity makes this determination based upon an examination of the contents of the association or reassociation request message received thereby. Contained in the association or reassociation reply message returned by the Layer-2 entity shall either be an instruction, to the mobile terminal, to continue using its current IP address or a new IP address to be used, by the mobile terminal in place of its current IP address.