RFC 2005 (rfc2005) - Page 1 of 5

Applicability Statement for IP Mobility Support

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Network Working Group                                         J. Solomon
Request for Comments: 2005                                      Motorola
Category: Standards Track                                   October 1996


            Applicability Statement for IP Mobility Support

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   As required by [RFC 1264], this report discusses the applicability of
   Mobile IP to provide host mobility in the Internet.  In particular,
   this document describes the key features of Mobile IP and shows how
   the requirements for advancement to Proposed Standard RFC have been
   satisfied.

1. Protocol Overview

   Mobile IP provides an efficient, scalable mechanism for node mobility
   within the Internet.  Using Mobile IP, nodes may change their point-
   of-attachment to the Internet without changing their IP address.
   This allows them to maintain transport and higher-layer connections
   while moving.  Node mobility is realized without the need to
   propagate host-specific routes throughout the Internet routing
   fabric.  The protocol is documented in [MIP-PROTO].

   In brief, Mobile IP routing works as follows.  Packets destined to a
   mobile node are routed first to its home network -- a network
   identified by the network prefix of the mobile node's (permanent)
   home address.  At the home network, the mobile node's home agent
   intercepts such packets and tunnels them to the mobile node's most
   recently reported care-of address.  At the endpoint of the tunnel,
   the inner packets are decapsulated and delivered to the mobile node.
   In the reverse direction, packets sourced by mobile nodes are routed
   to their destination using standard IP routing mechanisms.

   Thus, Mobile IP relies on protocol tunneling to deliver packets to
   mobile nodes that are away from their home network.  The mobile
   node's home address is hidden from routers along the path from the
   home agent to the mobile node due to the presence of the tunnel.  The
   encapsulating packet is destined to the mobile node's care-of address



Solomon                     Standards Track
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