Mobile multicast routing protocol using prediction of dwelling time of a mobile host

We propose a mobile multicast routing protocol based on the timer-based mobile multicast (TBMOM). A mobile host that stays in a foreign network receives multicast datagrams from a foreign multicast agent (FMA) through tunneling. When a mobile host hands off, the foreign agent in the foreign network where it moves calculates the expected dwelling time for which the mobile host will stay in the foreign network. The foreign agent decides whether it will be included in the multicast tree using the expected dwelling time during hand-off. The proposed protocol reduces the tunnel length from FMA to the foreign network by predicting the expiration of the timer of a mobile host. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol provides a multicast delivery path closer to the optimal path than TBMOM.