A SIP based Soft Handoff Mechanism for Seamless Mobility in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Technical requirements for limitless network movement between different wireless systems require strong handoff protocols to accomplish uninterrupted connections. This research proposes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based soft handoff architecture as a system which delivers uninterrupted IP layer mobility management. SIP signaling in combination with media gateway implementation of packet replication along with filtering functions enables the proposed solution to achieve lower packet loss and faster handoff processes. A simulation environment designs plural wireless network technologies including GPRS, CDMA and WLAN to model the functionality of Mobile Hosts (MHs) maintained through multiple wireless interfaces during handoff activities. The system operates in real-time while updating SIP sessions and sending dynamic INVITE signals and re-INVITE messages through intelligent media gateway control points to support QoS. The performance evaluation established through key metrics including handoff latency and packet loss together with throughput and session continuity proves superior than hard handoff techniques. SIP-based soft handoff improves mobile robustness which establishes it as a suitable solution for next-generation wireless multimedia networks.