The Boeing Company
User mobility in a system with time-varying user-satellite and satellite-ground ethernet links

Abstract:

Systems, methods, and apparatus for user mobility in a system with time-varying user-satellite and satellite-ground Ethernet links are disclosed. In some embodiments, A method for user mobility in a satellite system comprises transmitting, by a user device, a first signal comprising internet protocol (IP) data packets encapsulated in an Ethernet frame to a satellite. The method further comprises transmitting, by the satellite, a second signal comprising the IP data packets encapsulated in the Ethernet frame to a ground modem of a ground terminal. Further, the method comprises transmitting, by the ground modem, a third signal comprising the IP data packets encapsulated in the Ethernet frame to a default gateway, which is associated with user device, of a customer ground location via a virtual Ethernet switch. The virtual Ethernet switch utilizes one of a layer two (L2) overlay or a wide area network (WAN) L2 virtual private network (VPN) implementation.