A method of performing packet switched handover in a mobile communication network, comprising a mobile node, a first and second packet switching node, the method comprising: detecting a handover condition associated with the mobile node in the first packet switching node, and requesting handover preparation by said first packet switching node from said second packet switching node; characterised in that the method further comprises: receiving at least one ciphering parameter from the first packet switching node at said second packet switching node when the first packet switching node requests handover preparation from the second packet switching node; second packet switching node sending a handover request message to a target base station subsystem BSS node; second packet switching node receiving a handover request acknowledgement message from the target base station subsystem node; performing a logical link parameter exchange between the mobile node and the first packet switching node; the first packet switching node sending logical link layer frames to the mobile node during handover; second packet switching node receiving at least one packet from the first packet switching node and forwarding the at least one packet to the mobile node; wherein the second packet switching node has at least one parameter value which corresponds to at least one logical link parameter value negotiated between the first packet switching node and the mobile node. detecting a handover condition associated with the mobile node in the first packet switching node, and requesting handover preparation by said first packet switching node from said second packet switching node; characterised in that the method further comprises: receiving at least one ciphering parameter from the first packet switching node at said second packet switching node when the first packet switching node requests handover preparation from the second packet switching node; second packet switching node sending a handover request message to a target base station subsystem BSS node; second packet switching node receiving a handover request acknowledgement message from the target base station subsystem node; performing a logical link parameter exchange between the mobile node and the first packet switching node; the first packet switching node sending logical link layer frames to the mobile node during handover; second packet switching node receiving at least one packet from the first packet switching node and forwarding the at least one packet to the mobile node; wherein the second packet switching node has at least one parameter value which corresponds to at least one logical link parameter value negotiated between the first packet switching node and the mobile node. receiving at least one ciphering parameter from the first packet switching node at said second packet switching node when the first packet switching node requests handover preparation from the second packet switching node; second packet switching node sending a handover request message to a target base station subsystem BSS node; second packet switching node receiving a handover request acknowledgement message from the target base station subsystem node; performing a logical link parameter exchange between the mobile node and the first packet switching node; the first packet switching node sending logical link layer frames to the mobile node during handover; second packet switching node receiving at least one packet from the first packet switching node and forwarding the at least one packet to the mobile node; wherein the second packet switching node has at least one parameter value which corresponds to at least one logical link parameter value negotiated between the first packet switching node and the mobile node.