A Wi-Fi controller identifies a mismatch between a first prefix of a first IPv6 address for a data packet corresponding to a first VLAN on which the data packet was sent from the station to the access point, and a prefix of a second IPv6 address for a second VLAN from which the data packet was transmitted from the access point to the Wi-Fi controller. Responsive to the VLAN mismatch identification, the Wi-Fi controller transmits an RA to the station with a preferred lifetime of 0, wherein subsequent communications use the second IPv6 address.

A method for managing Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) addresses in a wireless sensor network is provided that includes storing, on a wireless sensor device in the wireless sensor network, a prefix of an IPv6 address in association with a key, forming an address indicator for the IPv6 address, the address indicator consisting of the key and a node address of the IPv6 address, and storing the address indicator in at least one memory location on the wireless sensor device in lieu of the IPv6 address.