Integration of IEEE 802.21 services and pre-authentication framework

Abstract

Providing multi-interface device users the ability to roam between different access networks is becoming a key requirement for service providers. The availability of multiple mobile broadband access technologies together with increasing use of real time multimedia applications is creating strong demand for handover solutions that can seamlessly and securely transfer user sessions across different access technologies. In this paper, we discuss how the Integration of IEEE 802.21 services and pre-authentication framework 173IEEE 802.21 standard and its services address the challenges of seamless mobility for multi-interface devices. We focus on a proof-of-concept implementation that integrates IEEE 802.21 services and a pre-authentication framework, to optimise handover performance in two different scenarios. The first scenario is initiated by the mobile node and the second one is initiated by the network. We present the measurement results for realising these scenarios. Finally, we describe the implementation challenges and lessons learned through this exercise. Keywords