Route optimization and location updates for mobile hosts

Abstract

Mobile hosts in a wireless network can move from one location to another while communicating with other hosts. A challenge is to provide seamless network access for mobile hosts and, at the same time, to retain compatibility with existing network protocols and applications. This paper addresses the issue of route optimization in IP mobility support that provides mobile handoff and "triangle" routing to mobile hosts through their home agents. We combine IP mobility support with hierarchical dynamic routing protocols OSPF and BGP. Existing mechanisms of authentication, incremental route propagation, and address aggregation can be used for efficient and secure propagation of location updates of mobile hosts. The geographical locality of consecutive mobile handoffs fits well with hierarchical dynamic routing protocols. No changes are required on fixed hosts or on routers that do not handle mobile hosts directly.