M-MIP: Extended Mobile IP to maintain multiple connections to overlapping wireless access networks

In future wireless access networks, connectivity to wired infrastructure will be provided through multiple access points with possibly different capabilities and utilization. The demand for increased network performance requires the ability to predict the best overall performance of those access points and to switch access point when the performance changes. Then there is the demand for mobility between networks with maintained connectivity which requires the ability to switch the point of attachment. We propose Multihomed Mobile IP, enabling performance discovery at the networks layer and the capability to decide what AP to use. Mobile IP support is needed to allow mobile hosts to move between networks with maintained connectivity. Multihomed Mobile IP enables mobile hosts to register multiple care-of addresses at the home agent, to enhance the performance of wireless network connectivity. This article describes a simulator evaluation of multihomed Mobile IP. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.