Comparison of Mobile Host Protocols for IP

Host mobility is becoming an increasingly important feature with the recent arrival of notebook and palm top computers, the development of wireless network interfaces and the implementation of the global network. This paper describes and compares three proposals from Sony, IBM and Columbia University for mobile host protocols (MHP) that are compatible with the TCP/IP protocol suite. A set of basic requirements for a MHP are also suggested and it is observed that none of the three proposals entirely satisfies these requirements. Each proposal has faults in their implementation of mobile network layer functionality. Moreover, it is noted they do not address problems that must be solved in both higher and lower layers. Key Words: Mobile Protocols, Wireless Networks, Networks, IP 1 Introduction Computers are no longer large, expensive, and nonportable. Recent developments make it possible to buy inexpensive notebook and palm top computers that are both portable and extremely powerful. As a..