IP Mobility Support in Hybrid Wired-Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) make use of a distributed routing mechanism to support connectivity between nodes within the ad hoc network. A wireless ad hoc network can be deployed for multiple applications, such as extending the coverage of wire based networks, where interworking is achieved via wireless access routers. However, the implementation of a hybrid (i.e. wired and wireless) network is not straightforward and several issues must be solved for these types of deployments to become a reality. One concern is related to terminal mobility while preserving ongoing communication sessions over IP networks; as a mobile node moves from one subnetwork to a new subnetwork, a mobility protocol (e.g. Mobile IP) is required for the mobile node to preserve a communication session without having to reestablish the session with a correspondent node. This issue is more complex in a hybrid network where the wireless domain is composed of a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). For instance, MANET routing protocols usually do not account for the connectivity toward a wired network, such as the Internet, via a single or multiple access routers. As a result, there are multiple routing issues that must be taken into consideration to support interconnectivity between nodes located in a hybrid network topology. The main contribution of this work is to present a review on the state of the art of IP mobility support for hybrid wired–MANETs and discuss some of the relevant issues in this area. In addition, two case studies are presented where macromobility (e.g. Mobile IP) and micromobility (Mobile-IP – HAWAII) protocols are implemented to support IP mobility on hybrid networks.