Multicast Support for End-to-end Wireless ATM Networks

Abstract

This paper proposes a wireless ATM architecture that can support mobile multicast services using ATM group addressing. In the architecture, it is assumed that the wireless link, IEEE 802.11, serves as a physical link in the ATM network. Thus, every mobile station in a wireless LAN is an ATM terminal. To integrate mobile ATM terminals gracefully into the ATM network, we use the “multiple signaling channels” feature specified in UNI 4.0 to provide a “ virtual UNI” between a mobile station and the ATM network. The virtual UNI enables simple implementation and management of mobile ATM terminals. Furthermore, the access point (AP) implements “proxy” multicast services for mobile ATM terminals to fully exploit the broadcasting feature of wireless communications. This requires the AP to intelligently involves in group address management and multicast data transfer. Finally, we propose handoff protocols for supporting mobile multicasting when the membership is unchanged, split merged, and moved due to terminal traveling.