An Optimized Vertical Handover Approach Based on M-ANP and TOPSIS in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Due to a deployment of different networks technologies such as 3G (UMTS, IEEE 802.11), 4G (LTE, IEEE 802.16) and 5G, the users have the opportunity to be connected to Internet at any time and any where. This ability to be quickly and easily connected is ensured by using the intelligent mobile terminal multi-modes such as mobile phones, smart-phones, IPAD, etc. These equipments mobiles have enabled users also to handle simultaneously various applications by using different access networks. The most issue in this heterogeneous wireless network is enabling for users to continuously choose the most appropriate access network during their communication. To deal with this task, we propose a new approach for network selection based on two multi attribute decision making (MADM) methods namely multiple analytic network process (M-ANP) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. The M-ANP is used to weigh each criterion and TOPSIS is applied to rank the alternatives. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of our optimized approach in terms of reducing of the reversal phenomenon and the ping-pong phenomenon.