Fast optimized smooth handoff (FOSH)

The Mobile IP protocol and its extension optimized smooth handoff are significantly detrimental to quality requirements of real-time applications. In this paper we propose and discuss FOSH (fast optimized smooth handoff), a procedure aiming at extending the improvements introduced by optimized smooth handoff to obtain an efficient scheme for the transmission of real-time traffic in scenarios where frequent handoffs are likely. The basic idea of FOSH is to provide the foreign agent with a neighbours cache allowing it to store the IP addresses of its adjacent foreign agents. Using such cache, the foreign agent can advertise to mobile nodes in its wireless network mobility services offered from adjacent foreign agents. This mechanism is provided in addition to the conventional advertising in order to give the MN a description of the surrounding environment. Specifically, the mobile node is able to send the registration message in advance. Simulations are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed scheme.