An Investigation of the Impact of Signal Strength on Wi-Fi Link ...
An Investigation of the Impact of Signal Strength on Wi-Fi Link ...
An Investigation of the Impact of Signal Strength on Wi-Fi Link ...
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As highlighted in [46, 47], distance, buffer size and fragmentati<strong>on</strong> have important<br />
effects <strong>on</strong> WLAN throughput. <strong>Wi</strong>th increasing distance, signal power is attenuated<br />
gradually and packet loss rate is increased. The data buffer also plays a significant role<br />
in WLAN. The functi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> data buffer is used to keep packets which are from high layer<br />
protocols (e.g. network, TCP layer). Packets will be dropped when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> buffer is full,<br />
thus, smaller buffer size would result in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> lower throughput. Appropriate buffer size is<br />
between 64000-128000 bits in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b networks [10]. Small fragmentati<strong>on</strong><br />
(packet size) would have better throughput in higher radio interference envir<strong>on</strong>ment.<br />
However, large fragmentati<strong>on</strong> would provide higher throughput in a good radio<br />
propagati<strong>on</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>ment.<br />
As menti<strong>on</strong>ed in [48], <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> low height <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> antenna and short distance between a receiver<br />
and a transmitter would cause significant path loss. The radio propagati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> WLANs<br />
would be limited within quite short ranges because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fresnel z<strong>on</strong>e (as shown in<br />
figure 2.14).<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>An</str<strong>on</strong>g>astasi et al. [49] pointed out that <strong>on</strong>ly when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> height <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> both laptops is 1 meter from<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance between two laptops is more than 33 meters, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fresnel<br />
Z<strong>on</strong>e will touch <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground (refer figure 2.14). If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> height <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> both laptops is ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r 1.5<br />
or 2 meters, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fresnel z<strong>on</strong>e will <strong>on</strong>ly touch <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> distance between<br />
laptops is greater than 73 meters and 131 meters. The communicati<strong>on</strong> range would<br />
increase if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fresnel z<strong>on</strong>e is kept at a level away from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground. In additi<strong>on</strong>, when<br />
any object (for example, table, chair and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ground) is located in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fresnel z<strong>on</strong>e, it<br />
results in diffracti<strong>on</strong> and degrades <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> signal power. Therefore, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> height <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> antenna has<br />
a significant impact <strong>on</strong> throughput in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEEE 802.11b network. The throughput<br />
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