Title: Strategies for fast scanning, ranging and handovers in WiMAX/802.16

Authors: Paul Boone, Michel Barbeau, Evangelos Kranakis

Addresses: School of Computer Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada. ' School of Computer Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada. ' School of Computer Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada

Abstract: In WiMAX/IEEE 802.16 with mobility support, the network entry procedure for a mobile station involves several steps including the scanning for an available channel and performing initial ranging in order to determine power and timing offset requirements. These steps are performed by a mobile station at start up or when about to perform a handover and must be done promptly in order to reduce delays in network access or possible dropped connections. We propose strategies that a mobile station can use to reduce the time required for scanning and ranging operations while attempting to establish network connectivity or perform a handover between neighbouring base stations. We model and simulate an area of WiMAX coverage using real-world mobility trace data and show that there are strategies that reduce the time required for scanning and ranging operations significantly.

Keywords: WiMAX; IEEE 802.16; scanning; ranging; handovers; mobility standards; mobile stations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCNDS.2008.021077

International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, 2008 Vol.1 No.4/5/6, pp.414 - 432

Published online: 03 Nov 2008 *

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