Data link level support for handoff in wireless ATM network

Handoffs enable seamless migration of virtual connections between cells as users move in an indoor wireless ATM environment. Most current handoff schemes in such environments operate at the network layer without any explicit data link layer support for reducing cell loss during handoffs. In this paper we present a new data link layer mechanism that will minimize the delay and delay variation due to handoffs. Our handoff scheme inserts specially marked cells in the data cell flow. Analysis and simulation of our approach show a reduction in delay by 50%, and reduction in delay variance by an order of magnitude