Reducing packet loss in fast handover for mobile IPv6 (FMIPv6) by using adaptive packet buffering tuning algorithm

Abstract

Recently the technological growth has made the world to become mobile. People have started communicating using wireless enabled devices such as Mobile phones and laptops. Most of these devices are used to communicate over the wireless networks, which allow users to be mobile; this trend has introduced the concept of mobility, which allows users to communicate anytime anywhere. However, a mobile node (MN) cannot receive IP packets based on its new point of attachment until the handover is completed. Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP), Mobile IP version 4 (MIPv4), and Mobile IP version 6 (MIPv6) has been proposed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to leverage mobility for wireless users but suffers from handover latency which causes the packet loss. The packet loss has become once such important issue to the research world, which needs to be resolved. As an extension of the MIPv6 protocol, Fast handover in Mobile IPv6 (FMIPv6) aims to eliminate handover latency and reduce the number of packet loss. FMIPv6 addresses the ability of a MN to send packets immediately when it detects a new subnet link, and the ability of an access router to deliver packets to a MN directly when the MN attachment is detected. Achieving these points will reduce the handover latency, by eliminating the unreachability of the MN as it will be able to receive packets during handover. In this research, an adaptive packet buffering tuning algorithm based on priority and traffic throughput is designed to reduce packet loss in FMIPv6. In addition, high level of throughput and low delay can be achieved through the proposed technique. A network simulator OMNET++ is used along with the FMIPv6 to develop the model and the algorithm. The evaluation of the proposed algorithm will be done using the performance metrics such as packet loss, throughput, and delay to evaluate the performance and justify the research objectives. In terms of overall packet loss, the APT approach performs the best, with as much as a 49% decrease and improvement compared with ALT algorithm.