 - In Mobile Internet Protocol (Mobile IP), a foreign agent is a router serving as a mobility agent for a mobile node. As specified in IETF RFC 2002), a foreign agent works in conjunction with another type of mobility agent known as a home agent to support Internet traffic forwarding for a device connecting to the Internet from any location other than its home network.
The home agent tunnels datagrams (packets) intended for the mobile node to a care-of address, which is either the IP address for the foreign agent, or an IP address acquired through some external means, such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The foreign agent detunnels packets and delivers them to the mobile node.
The operational mode using the foreign agent's static IP address as the care-of address was favored in the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) environment (which has a limited number of IP addresses available), because it meant that many devices could use the same care-of address. However, because Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) virtually does away with address constraints, Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) minimizes the use of foreign agents.
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Learn more about WLAN Standards |
| 802.11 protocols: Learn about the newest wireless protocol, 802.11n, as well as how to evaluate which protocol is best for your environment. You also get a run-down of 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. |
| 802.11 protocols: Learn about the newest wireless protocol, 802.11n, as well as how to evaluate which protocol is best for your environment. You also get a run-down of 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g. |
| Wireless LAN vulnerabilities: Learn about common wireless LAN vulnerabilities and how a few best practices can change wireless LAN issues from a problem into a helpful tool for any enterprise. |
| Wireless LANs -- 'CCNA Official Exam Certification Library, Third Edition,' Chapter 11: Learn about wireless LAN (WLAN) technology in preparation for the CCNA exam in this excerpt from the CCNA Official Exam Certification Library, Third Edition. |
| Introduction to wireless networks -- from 'The book of wireless': Learn about the standards and specifications that control wireless networks and explains how data moves through the network from one computer to another. |
| Wireless protocols learning guide: Wireless protocols, technologies and deployment issues such as access points, security and troubleshooting are found in this basic intro to wireless protocols and technologies. |
| LAST UPDATED: |
13 Apr 2007
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