Impact of handoff delay on RADIUS enabled 802.11 WLANs

The 802.11 Wireless Standard defines methods for improving reliability and security on Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). Two methods that are especially desirable to enterprise networks are handoff and Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS). Handoff allows seamless mobility on a wireless network, thus providing users with the ability to roam among enterprise wireless access points without the need to reconnect to the wireless network. RADIUS authentication allows organizations to control access to network resources and provides secure authentication into their wireless network(s). These methods, while enhancing the usability of established WLANs, also introduce additional overhead to the network infrastructure; thus impacting the network's performance. This paper identifies the impact caused by the implementation of these methods on the wireless network and their effects upon each other.