Self-Organizing Network (SON) Functionalities for Mobility Management in WiFi Networks

WiFi networks based on the IEEE 802.11 standard are widely used indoors or outdoors as simple and cost-effective wireless technology. However, the data connection is significantly disrupted when mobile stations (STAs) switch between access points (APs). Furthermore, high packet loss occurs during the switching period. Therefore, mobility is a critical issue that needs to be solved in WiFi networks. In cellular networks, handover is used to keep ongoing data transfer when network clients switch between base stations. However, the handover algorithm is not supported in the 802.11 standard for WiFi networks. Self-Organizing Network (SON) functionality enables seamless handover in cellular networks, improving network performance. However, the SON functionality has not been fully researched in WiFi networks, especially for mobility management. Motivated by the SON functionalities, a SON approach is proposed to automatically optimize the handover algorithms for WiFi networks. This approach focuses on the SON functionalities including self-configuration, self-optimization and self-healing using machine learning techniques to develop new algorithms for WiFi mobility management. The overall goal of this thesis is to optimize handover performance as well as enhance the network’s capabilities.