Two-hop network design of LoRaWAN with a meta-heuristic optimization algorithm for improving downlinks

Abstract

Low power wide area networks (LPWANs) are made to survive conditions of extensive installation. Technological innovations, including Global Network Operator, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Weightless, Sigfox, etc., have adopted LPWANs. LoRaWAN is currently regarded to be one of the most cutting-edge and intriguing technology for the widespread implementation of the IoT. Although LoRaWAN offers the best features that make it fit with Internet - of - things specifications, there are still certain technical issues to overcome, such as link coordination, resource allocation and reliable transmission. In LoRaWAN, End-devices transmit randomized uplink frames to the gateways using un-slotted random-access protocol. This randomness with the restrictions placed on the gateways is a reason that leads to a considerable decline in network performance, in particular downlink frames. In this paper, we propose a new approach to increase Acknowledgement (ACK) messages throughput. The suggested method takes advantage of both class A and class B features to enhance and assist LoRaWAN’s reliability by ensuring that an ACK message is sent for every confirmed uplink while retaining the minimum energy level that is utilized by nodes.