Optimized home link detection

A method for establishing by a mobile node an additional session via a connection to a packet data network in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

• bootstrapping, in response to trigger to establish the additional session via the packet data network connection, with a packet data network gateway to thereby obtain an home address prefix from the packet data network gateway, wherein the packet data network gateway connects the mobile node to the packet data network, wherein the mobile node uses an IP address configured at the mobile node prior to the trigger to establish the session as its identifier during bootstrapping,
• tunnelling IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using the IP address configured at the mobile node prior to the trigger to establish the session as the source address of the IP header encapsulating the IP data packets of the additional session,
• receiving a router advertisement from an access router, wherein the router advertisement is advertising an address prefix identical to the home address prefix obtained by the mobile node through bootstrapping with the packet data network gateway, and
• transmitting, in response to receiving the router advertisement, IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using a home address configured according to the home address prefix as the source address of the IP data packets of said additional session.

A method for establishing by a mobile node an additional session via a connection to a packet data network in a mobile communication network, the method comprising:

• bootstrapping, in response to trigger to establish the additional session via the packet data network connection, with a packet data network gateway to thereby obtain an home address prefix from the packet data network gateway, wherein the packet data network gateway connects the mobile node to the packet data network, wherein the mobile node uses an IP address configured at the mobile node prior to the trigger to establish the session as its identifier during bootstrapping,
• receiving an indication whether the home address prefix obtained from the packet data gateway can be used in the access network to which the mobile node is attached,
• if the IP address configured according to the home address prefix obtained from the packet data network gateway cannot be used in the access network, tunnelling IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using the IP address configured for the mobile node as the source address of the IP header encapsulating the IP data packets of the additional session, and
• if the IP address configured according to the home address prefix obtained from the packet data network gateway can be used in the access network, transmitting IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using a home address configured according to the home address prefix as the source address of the IP data packets of the additional session.

A mobile node for establishing an additional session via a connection to a packet data network in a mobile communication network, the mobile node comprising:

• a transmitter and a receiver for bootstrapping with a packet data network gateway in response to trigger to establish the additional session via the packet data network connection to thereby obtain an home address prefix from the packet data network gateway, wherein the packet data network gateway connects the mobile node to the packet data network, wherein the mobile node uses an IP address configured at the mobile node prior to the trigger to establish the session as its identifier during bootstrapping,
• wherein the transmitter is adapted to tunnel IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using the IP address configured at the mobile node prior to the trigger to establish the session as the source address of the IP header encapsulating the IP data packets of the additional session, and
• wherein the receiver is adapted to receive a router advertisement from an access router, wherein the router advertisement is advertising an address prefix identical to the home address prefix obtained by the mobile node through bootstrapping with the packet data network gateway, and
• wherein the transmitter is further adapted to transmit in response to receiving the router advertisement IP data packets of said additional session to the packet data network gateway using a home address configured according to the home address prefix as the source address of the IP data packets of said additional session.

A packet data gateway for connecting a mobile node to a packet data network, the packet data gateway comprising:

• a transmitter and a receiver for bootstrapping with the mobile node, and
• a processing unit for determining, during bootstrapping, a home address prefix for the mobile node,
• wherein the transmitter is adapted to transmit the home address prefix to the mobile node during bootstrapping,
• wherein the receiver is adapted to receive information on the access network to which the mobile node is currently attached during bootstrapping,
• wherein the processing unit is further adapted to identify an access router implementing functionality of a mobile access gateway in the access network to which the mobile node is attached based in the information received by the receiver during bootstrapping, and
• wherein the transmitter is adapted to request the access router to advertise the home address prefix to the mobile node in said router advertisement.