Method, system and computer program product for countering anti-traffic redirection
View Patent ↗A method and system for countering anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station is provided. Observing registration messages exchanged between the visiting network and the home network, the disclosed invention detects if the visiting network has deployed an anti-traffic-redirection mechanism as aimed at fooling the home network into permitting connection with a non-preferred network. The invention also provides for a way to steer the roamer to reattempt connection with a preferred network.
1. A method for countering an anti-traffic redirection of a roaming mobile station in a Visiting Public Mobile Network (VPMN) by a Home Public Mobile Network (HPMN), the method comprising the steps of:
detecting a forced connection of the roaming mobile station to a non-preferred VPMN by observing exchange of at least one registration message between the VPMN and the HPMN and checking a number of LUP messages received within a configurable threshold time interval;
statistically configuring the threshold time interval based on the number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval; and
steering the roaming mobile station to reinitiate a registration attempt with a preferred VPMN.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the forced connection comprises passively monitoring the exchange of registration messages between the VPMN and the HPMN.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the forced connection comprises actively monitoring the exchange of registration messages between the VPMN and the HPMN.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein steering the roaming mobile station comprises sending a Location Update Reject registration message in response to a predefined number of LUP messages received within the configurable threshold time interval.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined number of LUP messages is one or more.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the configurable threshold time interval is 15 seconds.