Aspect	Mobile IP	IEEE 802.11
Protocol Layer	Mobile IP is a network-layer protocol (Layer 3).	IEEE 802.11 is a data link-layer protocol (Layer 2) .
Purpose and Functionality	Mobile IP Enables mobile devices to roam between networks while the maintaining connectivity.	IEEE 802.11 Provides wireless communication within a local area network.
Roaming Support	Mobile IP supports seamless roaming between different networks.	IEEE 802.11 permit Roaming within a single network.
Security	Mobile IP supports end-to-end encryption and authentication features for secure communication.	IEEE 802.11 has limited security features compared to Mobile IP as it primarily focuses on network access control.
Standardization	Mobile IP are defined by RFC standards for interoperability .	IEEE 802.11 is governed by IEEE 802.11 standards.

Primary Technology

Wireless network roaming and handover protocol follow the IEEE 802.11 standard. IEEE 802.11 states the standard communication protocols and associated technology with respect to wireless LANs and WiFi and several revisions are done to the IEEE 802.11 standard for introducing new features and improvements on network performance and security over the past few years.

Key Terms

1. Access Point (AP)

Access point act as a bridge among the wired and wireless networks and APs are to be connected to the wired network and provides wireless connection to the respective client devices within the range and scope.

2. Client Device or Mobile Device

Client device can be any device getting connected to a wireless network(laptops, smartphone and IoT device).

3. WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN is combination of interconnected wireless devices and limited to specific geographical area(Office, home or student campuses).

4. Roaming

Roaming is the client device switching process between one AP to another within the respective range and coverage area of multiple APs.

5. Handover

Handover is data session (current and ongoing) transferring between one AP to another without any disruption and uninterrupted communication and related services.

6. 802.11 Standard

802.11 is the international standard built for WLAN technology and introduction of new features and improvement with respect to security and performance were carried out and ongoing for seamless experience and better efficiency. The latest revision of 802.11 is 802.11ax or Wi-Fi 6.

7. Authentication

Authentication is the identity verification process of a client device or mobile station before giving the wireless network accessibility and connectivity.

8. Association

Association is connectivity process between an MS and the respective access points within the network.

9. Seamless Roaming

Seamless roaming is a feature supported by wireless network protocols and permit mobile stations to keep and maintain stable and uninterrupted network connectivity during the access point switching.

10. Handoff Interval

Handoff Interval is the time period of handover to a new AP by the MS upon detection of lower and degraded connection quality and services with the current AP.

Applications of Wireless Network Roaming and Handover Protocols

Let us take some examples of seamless roaming and for better understanding and are mentioned as below:

1. Let’s assume, an user working on his/her laptop in a coffee shop with multiple wireless access points, distributed throughout the entire coffee shop premises.

Whenever the user makes a move or changes the location and then the laptop automatically gets connected to the nearest AP for uninterrupted and seamless network connectivity.

2. A group of students are using the smartphones for project collaboration in a library and are connected to the library WLANs with different acess points (APs) within the premises.

Whenever a student makes a move from one side to the other automatic APs switching occurs for uninterrupted and seamless experience without any connection loss.

Real-Life Scenario

1. Let’s assume A MNC has multiple branches over the globe and each has it’s own wireless network connectivity and related services.Some of the the employees(manager or coordinator)usually travel between the multiple branches of the MNC across the globe for project collaboration and meetings.For seamless and uninterrupted communication and services the MNC uses a central WLAN management system supporting the handover and roaming protocol to ensure undisturbed and efficient internet connectivity during the conference or ongoing meeting.
2. For public transportation (train or subway) passengers are often rely and use their mobile phones for surfing the internet to get any update or perform similar tasks.Hence, transportation authority and system manager are providing Wi-Fi coverage within the transport having multiple access points (APs) along the route. As the transport moves from one place to another the APs getting automatically connected to another and ensure seamless and uninterrupted internet connectivity.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

1. Improved user experience:

Seamless and continuous WLAN network connectivity are very useful and beneficial for the users within a geographical area.

Hence, Roaming and handover protocols comes into picture and provide uninterrupted internet services as users move with multiple APs for the internet and other network related services.

2. Increased network capacity:

Roaming and handover protocols help to reduce the network load by providing the client device or mobile device to get connected to the nearest APs and by doing so reduces the network congestion and in turn increases the overall network capacity as well.

3. Enhanced security:

Enhanced security is supported by the roaming and handover protocols in a public place to detect and prevent security issues and threat for safe and secured connectivity.

Disadvantages

1. Complexity:

However, roaming and handover protocols management can be complex and tedious task for large-scale networks and often requires specialized skills and dedicated resources as well.

2. Interoperability issues:

However, compatibility of different IEEE 802.11 versions is an major issue and can cause disruption between client devices and APs with different standard and protocols (roaming and handover).

3. Performance degradation:

Roaming and handover protocols can cause latency and slow and degraded performance if not properly managed and configured for large and dense AP environments.

Conclusion

Wireless network roaming and handover has a significant role on wireless LANs and enhances the network efficiency and ensures the uninterrupted WLAN connection with minimal connection loss and related network issues.

However, it also supports fast roaming and handover with reduced early detection and switching between APs and time reduction of authenticity verification and enhanced network management

Frequently Asked Questions on Wireless Network Roaming and Handover Protocols – FAQ’s

What are the issues faced with wireless network roaming?

Managing network resources and QoS are a major challenge and need to be done with care and properly as to maintain a seamless handover during the transmission between the APs and WLANs in different geographical locations

How handover protocols handle and manage the cellular networks and wireless LANs?

Handover protocols manage the cellular networks by dealing with the different cells movement with efficiency and minimal overhead, whereas for wireless LANs, the handover protocols ensure efficient switching between the access points residing in the same network.

What role does network operators play for seamless roaming facilities for the users?

Network operators need to deploy and use advanced handover protocols to manage the network configurations effectively and to ensure sufficient and adequate coverage to ensure seamless and uninterrupted connectivity and user experience.

What are some common handover protocols used in wireless networks?

Some common handover protocols used in wireless networks are as follows,

Mobile IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) IEEE 802.11r (Fast BSS Transition) IEEE 802.11k (Radio Resource Management) EEE 802.11v (Wireless Network Management)