LOAD CONTROL IN UMTS ACCESS NETWORKS USING IP PROBE PACKETS

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and arrangement for determining the load and accessibility of transmission links in IP-based radio access networks. The method according to the present invention is performed in an overload detector that is part of a communication network and connected to a centralised controller unit and to each of the transmission paths to a plurality of network units. The method performs the steps of sending IP probe packets at regular times, determining a load indication for the transmission path from the marking status indicators of a sequence of IP probe packets that have been received from said path, assigning an access state to said transmission path depending on whether the load indication complies with an appropriate criterion, and reporting the access state of the transmission path to the centralised controller unit in response to an access request to send additional traffic via said transmission path.