NAT-MANEMO: Route optimization for unlimited network extensibility in MANEMO

MANET for NEMO (MANEMO) is a new type of network that integrates multi-hop mobile wireless networks with global connectivity provided by Network Mobility (NEMO). Two factors limit the scalability of MANEMO: the volatility of topologically correct global addresses, and excessive traffic load caused by inefficient use of nested tunnels and the consequent redundant routing of packets. We propose NAT-MANEMO, which solves both problems by applying NAT for some mobile router addresses, bypassing tunnel nesting. This approach retains global addresses for mobile end nodes, preserving application transparency, and requires only minimal modification to existing specifications. Our ideas are evaluated using simulation and a proof of concept implementation. The simulation shows the additional signaling overhead for the route optimization introduced by our proposal is negligible compare to the bandwidth of an IEEE 802.11 link. The implementation confirms that route optimization reduces latency and improves throughput.