AWiMA: An architecture for Adhoc Wireless Mobile internet Access

Abstract: This paper suggests a system architecture for wireless widearea- networking access using adhoc networking between a mobile Client node without direct connectivity to a wirelesswide- area-network and a mobile Service Provider node with connectivity to a wireless-wide-area-network. It provides a means for securely providing such adhoc wireless networking services using a Server for tunneling and routing, registration and authentication. The architecture also provides support for handoff of a Client node from one Service Provider to another with persistence of a tunnel between the Client and the Server enabling a soft-handoff. Different wireless protocols may be used for adhoc networking, with filtered interconnection of authenticated Clients implemented at a Service Provider node. The architecture is applicable across different wide-areanetwork protocols, and provides simultaneous support for multiple wide-area-network protocols.