Difference between Passive Roaming and Handover roaming LoRaWAN

This page compares LoRaWAN Passive Roaming vs Handover roaming and mentions difference between Passive Roaming and Handover roaming used in LoRaWAN.

LoRaWAN Architecture in roaming mode

The figure depicts LoRaWAN architecture. As shown, LoRaWAN system consists of end device, radio gateway, network server (NS) in three modes, application server and Join server.

Passive Roaming

LoRaWAN Packet transmission using passive roaming

• In this roaming type, LoRaWAN Session and the MAC-layer control of the End-Device is maintained by serving NS (i.e. sNS).
• Frame forwarding to and from air interface is managed by Forwarding NS (i.e. fNS).
• In passive roaming, there can only be one serving NS for a given LoRaWAN Session whereas zero or more forwarding NSs may be involved with the same session.
• Figure shows message flow for Passive Roaming Procedure between two NSs for an ongoing LoRa Session of an End-Device.

Handover Roaming

LoRaWAN Handover Roaming Start

• It enables transfer of MAC layer control from one network server to the another NS.
• The hNS interface maintains the control-plane and data-plane with the JS and the AS even after the End Device performs a Handover Roaming from one NS to another.
• The hNS interface stays the same for a given LoRaWAN Session until the End Device performs the next Join Procedure.
• Unlike the forwading NS, the serving NS has capability to control the End Device RF settings, which allows more flexible roaming scenarios.
• Figure shows message flow between end device, NS2, NS1 and JS (Join Server).

Difference between Passive Roaming and Handover roaming in LoRaWAN

Following table mentions difference between Passive Roaming and Handover roaming.

LoRaWAN Difference between Passive Roaming vs Handover Roaming

Reference: LoRaWAN Backend Interfaces document V1.0, Visit www.lora-alliance.org to download it.

LoRaWAN related links

The LoRa Wireless tutorial covers following sub topics:
Main page LoRa tutorial   LoRa Frequency Bands   LoRa protocol stack   LoRa MAC layer   LoRaWAN classes   LoRa features   LoRa Transceiver module  

NB-IoT Related Stuff


LoRa vs Sigfox vs other technologies

Following links compares LoRa vs Sigfox vs other wireless technologies.
LoRaWAN vs Sigfox
LoRa vs LoRaWAN
LoRa vs Zigbee
SigFox vs GSM

What is difference between

difference between LTE and LTE Advanced
difference between FDM and OFDM
Difference between SC-FDMA and OFDM
Difference between SISO and MIMO
Difference between TDD and FDD
Difference between 802.11 standards viz.11-a,11-b,11-g and 11-n
OFDM vs OFDMA
CDMA vs GSM

RF and Wireless Terminologies