A method is provided in a wireless local area network controller in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network includes one or more virtual networks identified with virtual network IDs, VNIDs. A request is received from a wireless client to onboard onto the network and the wireless client is mapped to an onboarding VNID. The onboarding VNID is associated with an onboarding virtual network that does not require an authentication of the wireless client. An Internet Protocol address assignment is forwarded to the wireless client. The wireless client is remapped from the onboarding VNID to the destination VNID after authenticating the wireless client. The wireless client maintains the assigned IP address after moving from the onboarding VNID to the destination VNID. Access to the wireless client on a virtual network identified by the destination VNID is provided via the assigned IP address.