Mobile domain name system: an alternative for mobile IP

/sup M/obile Internet introduced mobility to IP protocol, allowing mobile user to stay in connection with Internet without changing IP address while roaming. In this paper, a mobile domain name system (MDNS) is proposed to provide IP mobility for mobile user. Through bringing virtual domain concept to current domain name service, Mobile Internet is easily realized. Since the traditional IP address contains location information, to provide portability for fixed IP address is difficult. Besides, IP address has no personal significance, thus, we recommend a portable personal domain name instead of an IP address for each Internet user. A symbolic name is more meaningful and convenient for human. Furthermore, the issue of IP address starvation could be simply eased via this personal domain name. Through integrating with current domain name system (DNS), the portable domain name could be dynamically resolved to the current location (i.e.. current IP address) of the corresponding mobile user. No extra agent or additional IP address is required for MDNS system. MDNS is based on current DNS system, thus massive hardware installation cost is reduced.