Advanced mobile router platform with load balancing capabilities in heterogeneous networks

Future wireless networks will have to provide seamless connectivity anytime and everywhere while fulfilling conditions concerning sustainable bit rates and maximum delays. Next generation wireless networks will provide communication services not only to persons but also to machines which will have as consequence a significant increase of the number of terminals connected and involved in the communication process. In order to solve these wireless communication issues the design of new radio interfaces is considered as well as the joint usage of the transmission resources available in heterogeneous wireless networks which cover the same geographical area. This paper proposes the architecture and some design principles and implementation details of an advanced mobile router platform with combined vertical handover and load balancing capabilities in heterogeneous wireless networks. The architecture of the testbed used for functionality testing and performance evaluation of the mobile router is also presented together with some relevant test results.