TCP application recovery improvement after handover in mobile networks

Abstract

Host and network mobility support mechanisms aim to provide a seamless access to Internet while end users are changing their point of attachment. When a mobile entity roams from a network to another, a handover occurs causing communication session discontinuity degrading real-time application performance. Assuming that such inconvenience is a congestion, TCP recovery is slow and careful. We have previously proposed a cooperation between TCP and MIPv6 and proved its efficiency through OMNeT++ simulations. In this paper, We study its efficiency in the context of mobile networks. Therefore, we implement xNEMO; a compliant implementation of NEtwork MObility Basic Support (NEMO BS) in OMNeT++. Besides, in order to enhance the performance of TCP application, we propose to modify the TCP behaviour after a recovery from a handover. Simulations show that the cooperation between TCP and NEMO BS reduces the Application Recovery Time and enhances the performance of the TCP application.