ROUTING OPTIMIZATION OF VISITING MOBILE NODES USING MOBILE IP SERVICES

摘要

There is disclosed a communication network for supporting mobile IP (MIP) protocol having a home network and a visiting network with a foreign agent that has optimized communications between at least two visiting mobile nodes from the same home network. The optimization in communications is achieved by the common foreign agent maintaining a listing of the visiting mobile nodes from the same home network utilizing the common foreign agent for IP care-of-addresses. The common foreign agent utilizes this listi ng to route all packets transmitted between the at least two visiting mobile nodes from the same home network maintained on the listing directly to the link layer addresses of such mobile nodes known to the common foreign agent. In one embodiment, the home network forwards a prior authorization message to the common foreign agent authorizing the common foreign network to optimize communication between at least two visiting mobile nodes from the home network. In another embodiment each visiting mobile node requests and is subsequently authorized by the home network to have the common foreign agent to optimize communication with other visiting mobile nodes from the home network who have also so authorized the common foreign agent to optimize communications.