Predictive Wireless Received Signal Strength Using Friis Transmission Technique

Abstract

A good WLAN performance is crucial in determining the quality of experience (QoE) among the campus community. Proper WLAN planning and design should be done beforehand to ensure good WLAN performance. Various studies have discussed different methods of conducting WLAN planning to predict WLAN's best performance, including using artificial intelligence and mathematical approaches. One of the processes involved in performing WLAN planning is measuring performance parameters. Signal strength is one of the vital parameters to be measured in determining the excellent performance of WLAN in a particular area. When deploying a WLAN design in two different environments, the signal strength outcomes can differ due to various factors, including obstacles and path loss propagation issues within the deployment area. Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) present a unique challenge as their building designs vary to accommodate student needs. As a result, the selection of materials used will also be different, affecting the WLAN performance. A detailed study should investigate the effect of path loss propagation and the type of obstacle that affects WLAN performance in HLI. Thus, this study focuses on predicting received signal strength using Friis Transmission and studying the effect of path loss propagation on WLAN performance. The simulated model significantly affects signal strength when the signal passes through different types of building material (non-LOS) and line-of-sight (NLOS), where concrete walls substantially affect the received signal strength between transmitters. The proposed model can assist network planners in designing robust WLAN infrastructure by improving signal strength, particularly in the HLI WLAN environment.Â