Media independent handover transport using cross-layer optimized stream control transmission protocol

The Media Independent Handover (MIH) architecture finalized by the IEEE 802.21 working group facilitates handovers between heterogeneous networks. The signaling messages exchanged between the network entities, namely Mobile Nodes (MNs) and Points of Service (PoSs) must be delivered in a timely and reliable manner. In this document, we analyze the current proposed solutions to transport MIH messages and review their limitations. We also propose an efficient solution using the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP). The solution uses SCTP’s multihoming and multistreaming capabilities and is optimized by using the MIH services. We analyze the performance of the proposed solution for various packet loss conditions and loads.