Network-controlled mobility within radio access networks based on WLAN technologies

摘要

This article presents a network-controlled approach of user terminal mobility within an IP based Wireless LAN Access Network. In a first part, this article makes a review of the mobility support, on the subject of emerging WLAN technologies as HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11, on the one hand, and, regarding IP networks as currently studied within IETF, on the other hand. Both types of IP mobility protocols are presented, either global mobility protocols such as Mobile IP, or local mobility management protocols (micro mobility). In the next part, the overall principles of our mobility management approach are explained; this approach is based on the implementation of a new network entity dedicated to the control of user terminal mobility. The last part details a practical implementation of this approach. The implementation is carried out on the basis of Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 (HMIPv6). The experimental results confirm the importance to carefully plan and control the user terminal mobility within large IP based Access Networks, as this brings benefit to the user as well as to the operator.