Efficient handoff for mass transit connectivity using IEEE 802.11

TL;DR

This paper proposes an optimized handoff scheme for IEEE 802.11 networks in mass transit, reducing delay and increasing reliability for mobile multimedia applications through experimental testing.

Contribution

It introduces a novel handoff procedure tailored for mass transit WiFi networks, enhancing speed and dependability during mobility.

Findings

Reduced handoff delay demonstrated in indoor tests

Improved reliability of handoff triggering mechanism

Effective deployment in experimental testbed

Abstract

In the recent years, WiFi standard has been used to develop different kind of wireless networks due to its flexibility and the availability of cheap off the shelf hardware. Even if the standard itself lacks mobility support, it has been used in networks with mobile nodes. When mobility is involved, a fast handoff is of paramount importance, especially with multimedia applications. The current IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide any specification about how the handoff should take place. In this paper we propose a handoff scheme optimized for networks providing wireless connection to mass transit vehicles. The structure of the procedure is redesigned to minimize delay as well as assure reliability. A reliable handoff triggering mechanism is also designed exploiting the results obtained from a set of preliminary outdoor experiments. The proposed scheme was implemented and deployed in an experimental testbed, and several indoor tests were run in order to demonstrate its reliability and efficiency.