IP-Based Protocols for Mobile Internetworking

We consider the problem of providing network access to hosts whose physical location changes with time. Such hosts cannot depend on traditional forms of network connectivity and routing because their location, and hence the route to reach them, cannot be deduced from their network address. In this paper, we explore the concept of providing continuous network access to mobile computers, and present a set of IP-based protocols that achieve that goal. They are primarily targeted at supporting a campus environment with mobile computers, but also extend gracefully to accommodate hosts moving between different networks. The key feature is the dependence on ancillary machines, the Mobile Support Stations (MSSs), to track the location of the Mobile Hosts. Using a combination of caching, forwarding pointers, and timeouts, a minimal amount of state is kept in each MSS. The state information is kept in a distributed fashion; the system scales well, reacts quickly to changing topologies, and does...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1991
• Where: SIGCOMM
• Authors: John Ioannidis, Dan Duchamp, Gerald Q. Maguire Jr.
• Keywords: Communications, Mobile Computers, Network Access, Portable Computers, SIGCOMM 1991