Evaluation of LoRaWAN’s Static and Dynamic Capabilities and its Limitations for IoT Applications

Abstract

This paper is a study of connection parameters of Long Range Wide Area Networks (LoRaWAN) for reliable and robust data communication. It also seeks to highlight the limitations and shortcomings of the LoRaWAN technology, with the goal of identifying areas for improvement. The primary goal is to investigate how particular network parameters affect communication and message transmission. The experimental setup consists of a gateway and two end nodes. The maximum range between the end device and the gateway was tested in a free field in which a stable communication is possible. Furthermore, the connection between the gateway and the endpoints was evaluated at various movement speeds. Additionally examined in a laboratory environment were the roundtrip time, the uplink, delay and downlink, and the received signal strength indicator according to the used transmission power, packet size and the spreading factor. The maximum packet sizes for each spreading factor were also tested.