The most important papers about 802.21

I will publish here the most important papers that use the MIH to improve the handover experience. I am compilating them :)

IEEE 802.21 Implementation

Many vendors are building wireless products and participating in the development of the 802.21 standard. Current technologies such as 802.11 that accomplish handover use software to accomplish handovers and suggest that software will also be the way that handover will be implemented by 802.21. The use of software as a means to implement 802.21 should not cause large increases in the cost of networking devices.

Actually, we have two main MIH (Media Independent Handover) implementations:

1. NS-2.29 by NIST
   this is the most used implementation by students, researchers and companies. Citation from the official website: "In addition, we evaluated mobility protocols' interactions across network layers 1-4 and the use of media independent handover functionality. As part of this work, we developed NS-2 models of IEEE 802.21 MIH architecture components such as the Event, Command, and Information Services, and transport of Layer 2 trigger information to higher layers. We also produced a set of NS-2 models of MAC-layers such as IEEE 802.16 and IEEE 802.11 that we used with the MIH functions to model vertical, i.e. heterogeneous, handovers that are assisted by cross-layer information passage."
   
   
2. ODTONE
   stands for Open Dot Twenty ONE and is an Open Source implementation of a Media Independent Handover Function (MIHF) for the IEEE 802.21 Media Independent Handover Services standard, using C++ APIs. ODTONE supplies the implementation of a MIHF, supporting its inherent services (Media Independent Event Service (MIES), Media Independent Command Service (MIIS) and Media Independent Command Service (MICS), as well as supporting mechanisms (Capability Discovery, MIHF Registration, Event Registration, etc.). ODTONE aims to implement a MIHF that is capable of being deployed in multiple operating systems. In a first stage, it will support GNU/Linux, followed by Microsoft NT-based operating systems and others. This means this implementation will be decoupled of highly dependent operating system mechanisms. Official website

In my PhD thesis, I am working with the NS-2.29 implementation. I had to develop several new functions, being the MIIS service the most important part, which is the core of my work. If you are working with NS-2.29 NIST implementation and have problems, you can contact me. After suffering more than two years, there are tips and tricks... :)

IEEE 802.21 Standard

The IEEE 802.21 standard supports algorithms enabling seamless handover between networks of the same type as well as handover between different network types also called Media independent handover (MIH) or vertical handover. The standard provides information to allow handing over to and from cellular, GSM, GPRS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 802.11 and 802.16 networks through different handover mechanisms.

The IEEE 802.21 working group started work in March 2004. More than 30 companies have joined the working group. In January, 2009, the standard was ratified as a IEEE standard. Here, you have the official site.