Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A new architecture for 3G and WLAN integration and inter-system handover management

  • Published:
Wireless Networks Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

WLAN has strong potential to provide a perfect broadband complement to the 3G wireless systems. This has raised much interest in their integration. In this paper, a novel architecture using the Network Inter-operating Agent (NIA), and Integration Gateway (IG) is proposed to integrate the 3G systems and WLANs of various providers that may not necessarily have direct service level agreement (SLA) among them. The proposed architecture is scalable as it eliminates the need for the creation of bilateral SLA among the 3G and WLAN operators. In addition, inter-system handover (ISHO) protocols using the concept of the dynamic boundary area is proposed to support seamless roaming between 3G and WLAN. The dynamic boundary area is determined based on the speed of the user and WLAN cell size. The ISHO procedures are initiated when a mobile user enters the boundary area of the WLAN and are completed before the user leaves the coverage area of the serving WLAN. This ensures that the roaming from WLAN to 3G is transparent to the applications. The performance evaluation shows that the proposed boundary area based ISHO algorithm outperforms the existing 3G/WLAN ISHO algorithms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. 3GPP, 3GPP System to WLAN Interworking; functional and architectural definition, Tech. rep. 3GPP TR 23.934 v0.3.0 (June 2002).

  2. B. Aboba and D. Simon, PPP EAP TLS authentication protocol, IETF RFC 2716 (Oct. 1999).

  3. J. Ala-Laurila, J. Mikkonen, and J. Rinnemaa, Wireless LAN access network architecture for mobile operators, IEEE Communications Magazine (Nov. 2001).

  4. J. Arkko and H. Haverinen, EAP AKA authentication, IETF Internet draft, draft-arkko-pppest-eap-aka-09.txt (Feb. 2003), work in progress.

  5. C. Bettstetter, H. Hartenstein, and X. Pérez-Costa, Stochastic properties of the random waypoint mobility model, ACM/Kluwer Wireless Networks, Special Issue on Modeling and Analysis of Mobile Networks, 10 (5), (Sept 2004) 555–567.

  6. L. Blunk and J. Vollbrecht, PPP extensible authentication protocol (EAP), RFC 2284, IETF (March 1998).

  7. M. Buddhikot et al., Integration of 802.11 and third-generation wireless data networks, In Proceedings of IEEE INFOCOM 2003, (Mar–Apr. 2003).

  8. P. Calhoun et al., Diameter base protocol, RFC 3588, IETF, (Sept. 2003).

  9. P. Calhoun and C. Perkins, Mobile IP network access identifier extension for IPv4, RFC 2290, IETF (March 2000).

  10. K. Ahmavaara, H. Haverinen and R. Pichna, Interworking architecture between 3GPP and WLAN systems, IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 41, no. 11, (Nov. 2003).

  11. H. Haverinen, N. Asokan and T. Maattanen, authentication and key generation for mobile IP using GSM authentication and roaming,’in Proceedings of IEEE ICC (2001), vol. 8, pp. 2453–2457.

  12. H. Haverinen and J. Salowey, EAP SIM Authentication, IETF Internet draft, draft-haverinen-pppest-eap-sim-10.txt (Feb. 2003), work in progress.

  13. S. Glass et al., RFC2977-mobile IP authentication, authorization, and accounting Requirements, RFC 2977, (Oct. 2000).

  14. IEEE 802.11f, Draft 4 recommended practice for multi-vendor access point interoperability via an inter-access point protocol across distribution systems supporting IEEE 802.11 Operation, IEEE Draft 802.11f/D5 (Jan. 2003).

  15. IEEE Std 802.1X-2001, IEEE standard for local and metropolitan area networks - port-based network access control (2001).

  16. Y. Min-hua, L. Yu and Z. Hui-min,“The mobile IP handoff between hybrid networks, in: Proceedings of IEEE PIMRC 2002 (Sept. 2002).

  17. C. Perkins, IP Mobility Support for IPv4, RFC 3220, IETF, (Jan. 2002).

  18. C. Perkins et al., Mobile IPv4 challenge/response extensions (revised), draft-ietf-mobileip-rfc3012bis-05.txt, Internet Draft, work in progress (May 2003).

  19. C. Rigney et al., Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS), RFC 2865 (June 2000).

  20. L. Salgarelli, EAP SKE authentication and key exchange protocol, Internet Draft, draft-salgarelli-pppext-eap-ske-03.txt (May 2003), work in progress.

  21. A.K. Salkintzis, C. Fors and R. Pazhyannur, WLAN-GPRS Integration for Next-Generation Mobile Data Networks, IEEE Wireless Communications (Oct. 2002).

  22. G.L. Stuber, Principles of Mobile Communication, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  23. S. Tsao and C. Lin, VGSN: A gateway approach to interconnect UMTS/WLAN networks, in: Proceedings of IEEE PIMRC 2002 (Sept. 2002).

  24. S. Tsao and C. Lin, Design and evaluation of UMTS-WLAN interworking strategies, in: Proceedings of VTC 2002 (Sept. 2002).

  25. V. K. Varma, S. Ramesh et al., Mobility management in integrated 3G/WLAN networks, In: Proceedings of ICC ′03, (May 2003).

  26. D. Wisely and E. Mitjana, Paving the Road to Systems Beyond 3G-The IST BRAIN and MIND Projects, Journal of Communications and Networks, 4, (4) (Dec. 2002) 292-301.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Q. Zhang, C. Guo, Z. Guo, and W. Zhu, efficient mobility management for vertical handoff between WWAN and WLAN, IEEE Communications Magazine, 41 (11) (Nov. 2003).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Broadband & Wireless Networking Laboratory, School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332

    S. Mohanty

Authors
  1. S. Mohanty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Mohanty.

Additional information

Shantidev Mohanty (SM’04) received his B. Tech. (Hons.) degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and the M.S. degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, in 2000 and 2003, respectively, both in electrical engineering. He is currently a graduate research assistant with the Broadband and Wireless Networking Laboratory and a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. His current research interests include wireless networks, mobile communications, mobility management, ad-hoc and sensor networks, and cross-layer protocol design. From 2000 to 2001 he worked as a mixed signal design engineer for Texas Instruments, Bangalore, India. He worked as a summer intern for Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, Holmdel, New Jersey, during the summers of 2002 and 2003 and for Applied Research, Telcordia Technologies, Piscataway, New Jersey, uring the summer of 2004.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mohanty, S. A new architecture for 3G and WLAN integration and inter-system handover management. Wireless Netw 12, 733–745 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-006-6055-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11276-006-6055-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation