Performance evaluation of heterogeneous network for next generation mobile

It is a universally stated design requirement that next generation mobile systems will be compatible and inter-operable with IPv6 and with various access technologies such as 802.11x. The current growth of WLANs worldwide has yielded a demand to integrate with existing 3G mobile technologies. Interworking incorporates all of the best features of an individual network into a single integrated system thus providing ubiquitous data services with high data rates in WLAN hotspots. The attempt to build hybrid networks has been linked with many technical challenges such as seamless vertical handovers across WLAN/3G radio technologies, security, common authentication, unified accounting & billing, etc. This paper evaluates the performance of two 3G/WLAN integration schemes: Tight and Loose Coupling. Mobile IP is used as a mobility management scheme and EAP-AKA for common authentication.