Patent ID: 8644256

Claim:
A method in a network for forwarding internet protocol (IP) packets sent to a mobile node via an old care-of-address of the mobile node, following a handover of the mobile node from a first node to a second node, the first node and the second node being a first access router and a second access router respectively, the method comprising: prior to completion of said handover the first node, utilizing a public key of a public-private key belonging to the mobile node for generating a new care-of-address for the mobile node for when the mobile node is transferred to the second node; at said first node, determining the new care-of-address for the mobile node and confirming ownership of the new care-of-address by the mobile node generating a signed message with the private key and sending the signed message to the first node; the second node verifying relevance of tunnel set-up requests by periodically sending a nonce to the mobile node, said mobile node hearing this nonce as the mobile node scans for a new link; including the nonce in the mobile node's notification to the first node, the first node including the nonce in a tunnel set-up message to said second node; and subsequently forwarding packets received at said first node, destined for said old care-of-address, to the new care-of-address.