Base stations on an Internet protocol (IP) network define a number of paging areas. An IP mobile host assumes one of (i) an active state, wherein the host informs other network nodes of a change in its point of attachment from one base station to another, and (ii) a standby state wherein the host informs other nodes only when a new point of attachment is a base station of a different paging area from a last point of attachment, thus conserving power at the mobile host. When data on the network is addressed to a standby mobile host, a page request is directed to a base station(s) in the host's current paging area for transmission. The host enters the active state and transmits a page response which is received by a base station in the current paging area, and network routing information for the host is updated accordingly.