Software-Defined Fuzzy Logic-Based Wireless Heterogeneous Network Selection Approach

Abstract The selection of the appropriate network in software-defined heterogeneous wireless systems poses a difficulty due to fluctuating traffic demands and diverse network conditions. Combining wireless networks with different characteristics requires complex network management protocols to ensure efficient communication. In this context, software-defined networking (SDN) technology, although initially developed for wired networks, has the potential to provide centralized management in a wireless heterogeneous network environment. This paper proposes a dynamic network selection method in wireless heterogeneous networks (HetNets) with an SDN-based network selection algorithm. The environment exhibits both wireless network heterogeneity and traffic type heterogeneity. The SDN Controller dynamically selects networks based on the parameters of all networks and data traffic types from the User Equipment (UE). This study is among the initial analyses comparing the efficacy of fuzzy logic-based network selection in SDN versus a conventional approach. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed SDN-based fuzzy logic method enhances network selection accuracy for video traffic from 79.88–83.84%, while decreasing average delay from 0.66 ms to 0.44 ms, resulting in a 33% reduction in latency relative to conventional systems. The findings indicate that SDN architecture yields reduced latency and enhanced accuracy in network selection decisions. The SDN-based network topology shows superior outcomes in end-to-end delay and throughput ratios during data packet communication following network selection. The centralized control architecture of SDN facilitates more stable and low-latency handling of network traffic.