The performance evaluation of fast iterative localized re-authentication for 3G/UMTS-WLAN interworking networks

3G/UMTS-WLAN heterogeneous mobile network is a complementary platform for the trend of Beyond-3G (B3G) wireless communications. However, the design of a secured and fast re-authentication protocol in 3G/UMTS-WLAN interworking networks is a challenging task. Although EAP authentication and key agreement (EAP-AKA) protocol is adopted by the third generation partnership protocol (3GPP) to achieve authentication and security services in 3G/UMTS-WLAN interworking networks, it still suffers two main drawbacks. One is high re-authentication delays due to centralized re-authentication sessions within the RADIUS server and unnecessary multiple rounds of challenge-response messages traveling between the RADIUS server and the mobile station. The other is high intra-domain handover authentication delay incurred by EAP-AKA protocol without supporting intra-domain handover authentication. Thus, this paper proposes a novel protocol named Fast Iterative Localized Re-authentication (FIL Re-authentication) to replace the fast re-authentication in EAP-AKA protocol. Furthermore, FIL Re-authentication makes use of iterative process and localized re-authentication process for speeding up re-authentication times and reducing intra-domain handover authentication delays in 3G/UMTS-WLAN interworking networks. Additional, the simulation model based on Network Simulator 2 (NS-2) is used to provide a valid implementation and finally the performance evaluation shows that proposed protocol surpasses standard EAP-AKA protocol in terms of authentication session time, authentication delay and handover authentication delay.