A framework of handoffs in wireless overlay networks based on mobile IPv6

Although there are various wireless access network technologies with different characteristics and performance level have been developed, no single network that can satisfy the anytime, anywhere, and any service wireless access needs of mobile users. A truly seamless mobile environment can only be realized by considering vertical and horizontal handoffs together. With the advantages of Mobile IPv6, a more comprehensive and integrated framework of heterogeneous networks can be developed. In this paper, we discuss the issues related to handoffs including horizontal and vertical handoffs. We present a scheme for integrating wireless local area network and wide area access networks, and propose a micromobility management method called HiMIPv6+. We also propose a QoS-based (quality-of-service-based) vertical handoff scheme and algorithm that consider wireless network transport capacity and user service requirement. Our prototype evaluations and the simulations show that our framework performs as expected.