A method of registering a mobile subscriber within a network including distributed mobile architecture nodes is disclosed. The method includes receiving a registration request from a mobile subscriber at a first distributed mobile architecture node within the network and storing an identifier of the first distributed mobile architecture node and the mobile subscriber at a memory location within a visitor location register (VLR) gateway. The VLR gateway is coupled to an element of a wide area wireless network. Also, a computer readable memory accessible to a distributed mobile architecture node of a distributed internet protocol network is disclosed. The computer readable memory includes a first field to identify a visiting mobile subscriber unit and a second field to identify an address of one of the distributed mobile architecture nodes of the distributed internet protocol network.