Chapter 6
Wireless and
Mobile
Networks
Computer
Networking: A
Top Down
Approach
6th edition
Jim Kurose, Keith
Ross
Addison-Wesley
March 2012
All material copyright 1996-2012
J.F Kurose and K.W. Ross, All Rights Reserved
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-1
Ch. 6: Wireless and Mobile
Networks
Background:
# wireless (mobile) phone subscribers now
exceeds # wired phone subscribers (5-to-1)!
# wireless Internet-connected devices
exceeds # wireline Internet-connected
devices
laptops, Internet-enabled phones promise anytime
untethered Internet access
two important (but different) challenges
wireless: communication over wireless link
mobility: handling the mobile user who changes
point of attachment to network
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-2
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Mobility
Wireless
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
Access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-3
Elements of a wireless
network
network
infrastructure
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-4
Elements of a wireless
network
wireless hosts
network
infrastructure
laptop, smartphone
run applications
may be stationary
(non-mobile) or
mobile
wireless does not
always mean
mobility
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-5
Elements of a wireless
network
base station
network
infrastructure
typically connected
to wired network
relay - responsible
for sending packets
between wired
network and
wireless host(s) in
its area
e.g., cell towers,
802.11 access
points
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-6
Elements of a wireless
network
wireless link
network
infrastructure
typically used to
connect mobile(s) to
base station
also used as
backbone link
multiple access
protocol coordinates
link access
various data rates,
transmission
distance
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-7
Characteristics of selected
wireless links
Data rate (Mbps)
200
54
5-11
802.11n
802.11a,g
802.11b
4
1
802.11a,g point-to-point
4G: LTWE WIMAX
3G: UMTS/WCDMA-HSPDA, CDMA2000-1xEVDO
802.15
.384
2.5G: UMTS/WCDMA, CDMA2000
.056
2G: IS-95, CDMA, GSM
Indoor
Outdoor
10-30m
50-200m
Mid-range
outdoor
Long-range
outdoor
200m 4 Km
5Km 20 Km
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-8
Wireless, Mobile Networks
6-9
Elements of a wireless
network
infrastructure
mode
network
infrastructure
base station
connects mobiles
into wired network
handoff: mobile
changes base
station providing
connection into
wired network
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-10
Elements of a wireless
network
ad hoc mode
no base stations
nodes can only
transmit to other
nodes within link
coverage
nodes organize
themselves into
a network: route
among
themselves
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-11
Wireless network
taxonomy
single hop
infrastructure
(e.g., APs)
host connects to
base station (WiFi,
WiMAX, cellular)
which connects to
larger Internet
no base station, no
no
infrastructure connection to larger
Internet (Bluetooth,
ad hoc nets)
multiple hops
host may have to
relay through several
wireless nodes to
connect to larger
Internet: mesh net
no base station, no
connection to larger
Internet. May have to
relay to reach other
a given wireless node
MANET, VANET
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-12
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Mobility
Wireless
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
Access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-13
Wireless Link Characteristics (1)
important differences from wired link .
decreased signal strength: radio signal
attenuates as it propagates through matter
(path loss)
interference from other sources: standardized
wireless frequencies (e.g., 2.4 GHz) shared by
other devices (e.g., phone); devices (motors)
interfere as well
multipath propagation: radio signal reflects
off objects/ground, reaching destination at
slightly different times
. make communication across (even a point to
point) wireless link much more difficult
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-14
Wireless Link Characteristics (2)
SNR: signal-to-noise ratio
10-1
larger SNR easier to
extract signal from noise (a
good thing)
SNR versus BER tradeoffs
given physical layer: increase
power increase SNR
decrease bit-error-rate (BER)
given SNR: choose physical
layer that meets BER
requirement, giving highest
thruput
SNR may change with
mobility: dynamically
adapt physical layer
(modulation technique,
rate)
10-3
BER
10-2
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10
20
30
40
SNR(dB)
QAM256 (8 Mbps)
QAM16 (4 Mbps)
BPSK (1 Mbps)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-15
Wireless network characteristics
Multiple wireless senders and receivers create
additional problems (beyond multiple access):
B
Hidden terminal problem
B, A hear each other
B, C hear each other
A, C can not hear each
other means A, C
unaware of their
interference at B
Cs signal
strength
As signal
strength
space
Signal attenuation:
B, A hear each other
B, C hear each other
A, C can not hear each
other interfering at B
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-16
Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA)
unique code assigned to each user;
i.e., code set partitioning
all users share same frequency, but each
user has own chipping sequence (i.e.,
code) to encode data
allows multiple users to coexist and
transmit simultaneously with minimal
interference (if codes are orthogonal)
encoded signal = (original data) X
(chipping sequence)
decoding: inner-product of encoded
signal and chipping sequence
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-17
CDMA encode/decode
sender
data
bits
code
Zi,m= [Link]
d0 = 1
-1 -1 -1
1
-1
1 1 1
-1 -1 -1
slot 1
-1
slot 1
channel
output
1
-1
1 1 1 1 1 1
d1 = -1
1 1 1
channel output Zi,m
-1 -1 -1
slot 0
1
-1
-1 -1 -1
slot 0
channel
output
Di = Zi,[Link]
m=1
received
input
code
receiver
1 1 1 1 1 1
1
-1 -1 -1
-1
1 1 1
1
-1
-1 -1 -1
-1
1 1 1
-1 -1 -1
slot 1
1
-1
-1 -1 -1
slot 0
d0 = 1
d1 = -1
slot 1
channel
output
slot 0
channel
output
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-18
CDMA: two-sender interference
Sender 1
channel sums
together
transmissions by
sender 1 and 2
Sender 2
using same code as
sender 1, receiver
recovers sender 1s
original data from
summed channel
data!
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-19
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Mobility
Wireless
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
Access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-20
IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN
802.11b
2.4-5 GHz unlicensed
spectrum
up to 11 Mbps
direct sequence spread
spectrum (DSSS) in physical
layer
802.11a
5-6 GHz range
up to 54 Mbps
802.11g
2.4-5 GHz range
up to 54 Mbps
802.11n: multiple
antennae
2.4-5 GHz range
up to 200 Mbps
all use CSMA/CA for multiple access
all have base-station and ad-hoc network
Wireless, Mobile Networks
versions
6-21
802.11 LAN architecture
Internet
wireless host
communicates with
base station
base station = access
point (AP)
hub, switch
or router
BSS 1
BSS 2
Basic Service Set
(BSS) (aka cell) in
infrastructure mode
contains:
wireless hosts
access point (AP): base
station
ad hoc mode: hosts
only
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-22
802.11: Channels,
association
802.11b: 2.4GHz-2.485GHz spectrum divided
into 11 channels at different frequencies
AP admin chooses frequency for AP
interference possible: channel can be same as
that chosen by neighboring AP!
host: must associate with an AP
scans channels, listening for beacon frames
containing APs name (SSID) and MAC address
selects AP to associate with
may perform authentication [Chapter 8]
will typically run DHCP to get IP address in AP
subnet
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-23
802.11: passive/active
scanning
BBS 1
AP 1
BBS 1
BBS 2
1
2
BBS 2
AP 2
AP 1
H1
passive scanning:
(1)beacon frames sent from APs
(2)association Request frame
sent: H1 to selected AP
(3)association Response frame
sent from selected AP to H1
2
3
AP 2
4
H1
active scanning:
(1) Probe Request frame broadcast
from H1
(2) Probe Response frames sent
from APs
(3) Association Request frame sent:
H1 to selected AP
(4) Association Response frame sent
from selected AP to H1
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-24
IEEE 802.11: multiple
access
avoid collisions: 2 nodes transmitting at same
+
time
802.11: CSMA - sense before transmitting
dont collide with ongoing transmission by other node
802.11: no collision detection!
difficult to receive (sense collisions) when transmitting
due to weak received signals (fading)
cant sense all collisions in any case: hidden terminal,
fading
B
A
C
goal: avoid collisions: CSMA/C(ollision)A(voidance)
C
Cs signal
strength
As signal
strength
space
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-25
IEEE 802.11 MAC Protocol:
CSMA/CA
802.11 sender
1 if sense channel idle for DIFS then
sender
transmit entire frame (no CD)
2 if sense channel busy then
DIFS
start random backoff time
timer counts down while channel idle
transmit when timer expires
if no ACK, increase random backoff interval,
repeat 2
802.11 receiver
- if frame received OK
receiver
data
SIFS
ACK
return ACK after SIFS (ACK needed due to
hidden terminal problem)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-26
Avoiding collisions (more)
idea: allow sender to reserve channel rather than
random access of data frames: avoid collisions of
long data frames
sender first transmits small request-to-send (RTS)
packets to BS using CSMA
RTSs may still collide with each other (but theyre short)
BS broadcasts clear-to-send CTS in response to RTS
CTS heard by all nodes
sender transmits data frame
other stations defer transmissions
avoid data frame collisions completely
using small reservation packets!
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-27
Collision Avoidance: RTS-CTS
exchange
A
AP
RTS(B)
RTS(A)
reservation collision
RTS(A)
CTS(A)
CTS(A)
DATA (A)
defer
time
ACK(A)
ACK(A)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-28
802.11 frame:
addressing
2
frame
address address address
duration
control
1
2
3
Address 1: MAC address
of wireless host or AP
to receive this frame
seq address
4
control
0 - 2312
payload
CRC
Address 4: used
only in ad hoc
mode
Address 3: MAC
address
of router interface to
Address 2: MAC address
which AP is attached
of wireless host or AP
transmitting this frame
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-29
802.11 frame:
addressing
R1 router
H1
Internet
R1 MAC addr H1 MAC addr
dest. address
source address
802.3 frame
AP MAC addr H1 MAC addr R1 MAC addr
address 1
address 2
address 3
802.11 frame
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-30
802.11 frame: more
frame seq #
(for RDT)
duration of reserved
transmission time (RTS/CTS)
2
frame
address address address
duration
control
1
2
3
2
Protocol
version
Type
Subtype
To
AP
seq address
4
control
From More
AP
frag
1
Retry
0 - 2312
payload
CRC
Power More
mgt
data
WEP
Rsvd
frame type
(RTS, CTS, ACK, data)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-31
802.11: mobility within same
subnet
H1 remains in
same IP subnet: IP
address can
remain same
switch: which AP
is associated with
H1?
self-learning (Ch.
5): switch will see
frame from H1 and
remember which
switch port can be
used to reach H1
BBS 1
H1
BBS 2
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-32
802.11: advanced
capabilities
Rate adaptation
10-1
base station, mobile
dynamically change
transmission rate
(physical layer
modulation
technique) as mobile
moves, SNR varies
QAM256 (8 Mbps)
QAM16 (4 Mbps)
BPSK (1 Mbps)
operating point
10-3
BER
10-2
10-4
10-5
10-6
10-7
10
20
30
SNR(dB)
40
1. SNR decreases, BER
increase as node moves
away from base station
2. When BER becomes too
high, switch to lower
transmission rate but with
lower BER
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-33
802.11: advanced
capabilities
power management
node-to-AP: I am going to sleep until
next beacon frame
AP knows not to transmit frames to this
node
node wakes up before next beacon frame
beacon frame: contains list of mobiles
with AP-to-mobile frames waiting to
be sent
node will stay awake if AP-to-mobile
frames to be sent; otherwise sleep again
until next beacon frame
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-34
802.15: personal area
network
less than 10 m diameter
replacement for cables
(mouse, keyboard,
headphones)
ad hoc: no infrastructure
master/slaves:
slaves request permission
to send (to master)
master grants requests
802.15: evolved from
Bluetooth specification
2.4-2.5 GHz radio band
up to 721 kbps
S
P
radius of
coverage
M
S
M Master device
S
Slave device
P Parked device (inactive)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-35
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Wireless
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
Mobility
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-36
Components of cellular network architectur
MSC
cell
covers
geographical
region
base station (BS)
analogous to
802.11 AP
mobile users
attach to network
through BS
air-interface:
physical and link
layer protocol
between mobile
and BS
connects cells to wired tel. net.
manages call setup (more later!)
handles mobility (more later!)
Mobile
Switching
Center
Public telephone
network
Mobile
Switching
Center
wired network
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-37
Cellular networks: the first
hop
Two techniques for sharing
mobile-to-BS radio
spectrum
combined FDMA/TDMA:
divide spectrum in
frequency channels,
divide each channel into
time slots
frequency
bands
CDMA: code division
multiple access
time slots
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-38
2G (voice) network architecture
Base station system (BSS)
BTS
MSC
G
BSC
Public
telephone
network
Gateway
MSC
Legend
Base transceiver station (BTS)
Base station controller (BSC)
Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
Mobile subscribers
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-39
3G (voice+data) network architect
MSC
G
radio
network
controller
Public
telephone
network
Gateway
MSC
G
SGSN
Public
Internet
Key insight: new cellular data
network operates in parallel
GGSN
(except at edge) with existing
cellular voice network
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
voice network unchanged in core
data network operates in parallel Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-40
3G (voice+data) network architect
MSC
G
radio
network
controller
Public
telephone
network
Gateway
MSC
G
SGSN
Public
Internet
GGSN
radio interface
(WCDMA, HSPA)
radio access network
Universal Terrestrial Radio
Access Network (UTRAN)
core network
General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS) Core Network
public
Internet
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-41
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Wireless
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
Access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
Mobility
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-42
What is mobility?
spectrum of mobility, from the network perspective:
no mobility
mobile wireless user,
using same access
point
high mobility
mobile user,
connecting/
disconnecting from
network using
DHCP.
mobile user, passing
through multiple
access point while
maintaining ongoing
connections (like cell
phone)
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-43
Mobility: vocabulary
home network: permanent
home of mobile
(e.g., 128.119.40/24)
home agent: entity that will
perform mobility functions on
behalf of mobile, when mobile is
remote
wide area
network
permanent address:
address in home
network, can always be
used to reach mobile
e.g., [Link]
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-44
Mobility: more vocabulary
permanent address: remains
constant (e.g., [Link])
visited network: network in
which mobile currently
resides (e.g., 79.129.13/24)
care-of-address: address
in visited network.
(e.g., 79,129.13.2)
wide area
network
correspondent: wants
to communicate with
mobile
foreign agent: entity in
visited network that
performs mobility
functions on behalf of
mobile.
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-45
How do you contact a mobile
friend:
Consider friend frequently
changing addresses, how
you all
find
her?
do
search
phone
I wonder where
Alice moved to?
books?
call her parents?
expect her to let you
know where he/she
is?
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-46
Mobility: approaches
let routing handle it: routers advertise permanent
address of mobile-nodes-in-residence via usual
routing table exchange.
routing tables indicate where each mobile located
no changes to end-systems
let end-systems handle it:
indirect routing: communication from
correspondent to mobile goes through home
agent, then forwarded to remote
direct routing: correspondent gets foreign address
of mobile, sends directly to mobile
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-47
Mobility: approaches
let routing handle it: routers advertise permanent
address of mobile-nodes-in-residence
via usual
not
scalable
routing table exchange.
to millions of
routing tables indicate
where each mobile located
mobiles
no changes to end-systems
let end-systems handle it:
indirect routing: communication from
correspondent to mobile goes through home
agent, then forwarded to remote
direct routing: correspondent gets foreign address
of mobile, sends directly to mobile
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-48
Mobility: registration
visited network
home network
2 area
wide
network
foreign agent contacts home
agent home: this mobile is
resident in my network
mobile contacts
foreign agent on
entering visited
network
end result:
foreign agent knows about mobile
home agent knows location of mobile
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-49
Mobility via indirect routing
home agent intercepts
packets, forwards to
foreign agent
foreign agent
receives packets,
forwards to mobile
home
network
1
correspondent
addresses packets
using home address of
mobile
visited
network
wide area
network
2
4
mobile replies
directly to
correspondent
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-50
Indirect Routing: comments
mobile uses two addresses:
permanent address: used by correspondent (hence
mobile location is transparent to correspondent)
care-of-address: used by home agent to forward
datagrams to mobile
foreign agent functions may be done by
mobile itself
triangle routing: correspondent-homenetwork-mobile
inefficient when
correspondent, mobile
are in same network
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-51
Indirect routing: moving between
networks
suppose mobile user moves to another network
registers with new foreign agent
new foreign agent registers with home agent
home agent update care-of-address for
mobile
packets continue to be forwarded to mobile
(but with new care-of-address)
mobility, changing foreign networks
transparent: on going connections can be
maintained!
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-52
Mobility via direct routing
correspondent forwards
to foreign agent
foreign agent
receives packets,
forwards to mobile
visited
network
home
network
3
1
correspondent
requests, receives
foreign address of
mobile
2
4
mobile replies
directly to
correspondent
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-53
Mobility via direct routing:
comments
overcome triangle routing problem
non-transparent to correspondent:
correspondent must get care-of-address
from home agent
what if mobile changes visited network?
2
4
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-54
Accommodating mobility with direct
routing
anchor foreign agent: FA in first visited network
data always routed first to anchor FA
when mobile moves: new FA arranges to have
data forwarded from old FA (chaining)
foreign net visited
at session start
wide area
network
anchor
foreign
agent
2
4
5
correspondent
correspondent
agent
3
new foreign
agent
new
foreign
network
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-55
Chapter 6 outline
6.1 Introduction
Wireless
6.2 Wireless links,
characteristics
CDMA
6.3 IEEE 802.11 wireless
LANs (Wi-Fi)
6.4 Cellular Internet
Access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM)
Mobility
6.5 Principles:
addressing and routing
to mobile users
6.6 Mobile IP
6.7 Handling mobility in
cellular networks
6.8 Mobility and higherlayer protocols
6.9 Summary
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-56
Mobile IP
RFC 3344
has many features weve seen:
home agents, foreign agents, foreign-agent
registration, care-of-addresses,
encapsulation (packet-within-a-packet)
three components to standard:
indirect routing of datagrams
agent discovery
registration with home agent
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-57
Mobile IP: indirect routing
foreign-agent-to-mobile packet
packet sent by home agent to foreign
agent: a packet within a packet
dest: [Link]
dest: [Link]
dest: [Link]
Permanent address:
[Link]
dest: [Link]
Care-of address:
[Link]
packet sent by
correspondent
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-58
Mobile IP: agent discovery
agent advertisement: foreign/home agents advertise
service by broadcasting ICMP messages (typefield = 9)
0
type = 9
24
checksum
=9
code = 0
=9
H,F bits: home and/or
foreign agent
R bit: registration
required
16
standard
ICMP fields
router address
type = 16
length
registration lifetime
sequence #
RBHFMGV
bits
reserved
0 or more care-ofaddresses
mobility agent
advertisement
extension
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-59
Mobile IP: registration
example
home agent
HA: [Link]
visited network: 79.129.13/24
foreign agent
COA: [Link]
mobile agent
MA: [Link]
ICMP agent
COA:
adv.
[Link]
.
registration req.
COA: [Link]
HA: [Link]
MA: [Link]
Lifetime: 9999
identification: 714
encapsulation format
.
registration
reply
HA: [Link]
MA: [Link]
Lifetime: 4999
Identification: 714
encapsulation format
.
registration
COA:req.
[Link]
HA: [Link]
MA: [Link]
Lifetime: 9999
identification:714
.
registration
reply
HA: [Link]
MA: [Link]
Lifetime: 4999
Identification: 714
.
time
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-60
Components of cellular network archite
recall:
correspondent
wired public
telephone
network
MSC
MSC
MSC
MSC
MSC
different cellular networks,
operated by different providers
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-61
Handling mobility in cellular
networks
home network: network of cellular provider
you subscribe to (e.g., Sprint PCS, Verizon)
home location register (HLR): database in
home network containing permanent cell
phone #, profile information (services,
preferences, billing), information about current
location (could be in another network)
visited network: network in which mobile
currently resides
visitor location register (VLR): database with
entry for each user currently in network
could be home network
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-62
GSM: indirect routing to
mobile
home
network
HLR
2
home MSC consults HLR,
gets roaming number of
mobile in visited network
correspondent
home
Mobile
Switching
Center
1
VLR
3
Mobile
Switching
Center
Public
switched
telephone
network
call routed
to home network
home MSC sets up 2nd leg of call
to MSC in visited network
mobile
user
visited
network
MSC in visited network completes
call through base station to mobile
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-63
GSM: handoff with common
MSC
VLR Mobile
Switching
Center
old
routing
old BSS
handoff goal: route call
via new base station
(without interruption)
reasons for handoff:
stronger signal to/from new
BSS (continuing
connectivity, less battery
drain)
load balance: free up
channel in current BSS
GSM doesnt mandate why to
perform handoff (policy),
only how (mechanism)
new
routing
new BSS
handoff initiated by old
BSS
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-64
GSM: handoff with common
MSC
VLR Mobile
Switching
Center 2
1
8
old BSS
7
3
6
new BSS
1. old BSS informs MSC of impending
handoff, provides list of 1+ new BSSs
2. MSC sets up path (allocates resources)
to new BSS
3. new BSS allocates radio channel for
use by mobile
4. new BSS signals MSC, old BSS: ready
5. old BSS tells mobile: perform handoff to
new BSS
6. mobile, new BSS signal to activate new
channel
7. mobile signals via new BSS to MSC:
handoff complete. MSC reroutes call
8 MSC-old-BSS resources released
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-65
GSM: handoff between
MSCs
home network
correspondent
Home
MSC
anchor MSC
MSC
PSTN
MSC
MSC
(a) before handoff
anchor MSC: first MSC
visited during call
call remains routed
through anchor MSC
new MSCs add on to
end of MSC chain as
mobile moves to new
MSC
optional path
minimization step to
shorten multi-MSC
chain
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-66
GSM: handoff between
MSCs
home network
correspondent
Home
MSC
anchor MSC
MSC
PSTN
MSC
MSC
(b) after handoff
anchor MSC: first MSC
visited during call
call remains routed
through anchor MSC
new MSCs add on to
end of MSC chain as
mobile moves to new
MSC
optional path
minimization step to
shorten multi-MSC
chain
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-67
Mobility: GSM versus
Mobile IP
GSM element
Comment on GSM element
Mobile IP element
Home system
Network to which mobile users permanent
phone number belongs
Home
network
Gateway Mobile
Switching Center, or
home MSC. Home
Location Register
(HLR)
Home MSC: point of contact to obtain routable
address of mobile user. HLR: database in
home system containing permanent phone
number, profile information, current location of
mobile user, subscription information
Home agent
Visited System
Network other than home system where mobile Visited
user is currently residing
network
Visited Mobile
services Switching
Center.
Visitor Location
Record (VLR)
Visited MSC: responsible for setting up calls
Foreign agent
to/from mobile nodes in cells associated with
MSC. VLR: temporary database entry in visited
system, containing subscription information for
each visiting mobile user
Mobile Station
Roaming Number
(MSRN), or roaming
number
Routable address for telephone call segment
between home MSC and visited MSC, visible
to neither the mobile nor the correspondent.
Care-ofaddress
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-68
Wireless, mobility: impact on higher layer
protocols
logically, impact should be minimal
best effort service model remains unchanged
TCP and UDP can (and do) run over wireless, mobile
but performance-wise:
packet loss/delay due to bit-errors (discarded
packets, delays for link-layer retransmissions), and
handoff
TCP interprets loss as congestion, will decrease
congestion window un-necessarily
delay impairments for real-time traffic
limited bandwidth of wireless links
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-69
Chapter 6 summary
Wireless
wireless links:
Mobility
capacity, distance
channel impairments
CDMA
home, visited networks
direct, indirect routing
care-of-addresses
IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi)
CSMA/CA reflects
wireless channel
characteristics
case studies
mobile IP
mobility in GSM
cellular access
architecture
standards (e.g., GSM,
3G, 4G LTE)
principles: addressing,
routing to mobile
users
impact on higher-layer
protocols
Wireless, Mobile Networks 6-70