Optimizing throughput performance of FMIPv6 over legacy 802.11 networks using iterative scanning

Predictive handover protocols like FMIPv6 have been proposed to provide seamless handover to MNs with minimum handover latency and packet losses. An essential prerequisite of FMIPv6 protocol is the advance discovery of candidate access points while the MN is still connected to its Present Access Router, a process which is carried out by the underlying data link layer protocol. The FMIPv6 standard only specifies the seamless handover operation at the network layer and does not take into consideration the impact of the relevant mechanism, such as the advance access point discovery process, on the overall seamless operation in terms of packet losses. At the data-link layer, the MN may repeatedly preform channel scanning operations to discover the in-range candidate APs. During the scan process, a MN is unable to transmit or receive packets leading to service quality degradation.This paper will analyze the implication of the IEEE 802.11 scanning process, that is carried out in advance to the actual initiation of the FMIPv6 handover process as part of the candidate access points discovery process. The impact of such a scan process is assessed on the overall seamlessness of the FMIPv6 protocol and its impact on the user’s QoE. In this regard, an iterative channel scanning solution approach would be described, which has been proposed to offset the adverse affects of 802.11 channel scanning process on the overall seamlessness of the FMIPv6 protocol in a legacy 802.11 network, especially during the candidate AP discovery process. A detailed evaluation of the performance of our proposed scheme will be presented based on extensive simulation analysis.