Seamless vertical handoff algorithm for heterogeneous wireless networks-an advanced filtering approach

Abstract

Next generation wireless networks are foreseen to be heterogeneous in nature.Wireless networks consisting of different access technologies with different bandwidth and coverage area will coexist to provide roaming users with their requirements. Handoff among heterogeneous networks, i.e. vertical handoff (VHO), has attracted enormous attention from researchers over the last couple of years. Absence of symmetry is the core distinction between homogeneous and heterogeneous networks, as one network has preference over the other network. Therefore a proficient handoff mechanism is crucial for making the experience seamless to the user, trim down the number of unnecessary handoffs, as well as to capitalize on the underlay network utilization. In this article, we propose an advanced filtering based VHO algorithm in 3G/WLAN and discuss its performance. Performance criteria are based on the number of handoffs.