EVALUATION OF REAL-TIME NETWORK PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background study
The development of communication technologies has transformed connectivity with Wi-Fi
emerging as a standard for local area networks. To ensure reliable and efficient
communication, it is important to understand the factors that influence Wi-Fi Performance.
Studies have shown that different Wi-Fi protocols exhibit different levels of resilience to
conditions such as light-of-sight and non-light-of-sight environments. As the distance from
the router increases, the performance and efficiency of Wi-Fi networks decrease, with
studies showing that throughput can drop significantly and latency can increase, especially
in the case of interference from other electronic devices.
1.2 Problem Statement
As the demand for high-speed wireless connectivity increases, the performance of different
Wi-Fi Protocols under various conditions is critical. Despite recent developments in Wi-Fi
technology, users experience issues, especially in indoor environments, related to latency,
throughput, and packet loss, where conditions such as interference, distance, and physical
obstacles affect network performance. Existing studies have focused on isolated areas of
Wi-Fi Performance, leaving a gap in evaluation that considers other factors affecting Wi-Fi
protocols.
1.3 Aims and Objectives
This study aims to provide recommendations for optimizing Wi-Fi network performance
and deployment of wireless network systems in real-world applications and to evaluate the
surrounding effects on Wi-Fi performance in an indoor environment.
1.3.1 Objectives
a) To evaluate Wi-Fi protocols, for example, 802.11a./ax/b/g/n under different
environmental conditions.
b) To evaluate the effect of electromagnetic interference from other devices on the
performance of Wi-Fi networks.
c) To examine and study how physical obstacles in indoor environments affect
signal strength and network performance.
d) To analyse the impact of increasing distance on the Wi-Fi router affects
throughput, latency and packet loss.
e) To compare the performance of different Wi-Fi Protocols and to identify which
protocols work best under varying conditions
1.4 Methodology
The study made use of EMCO Ping Monitor 8, a simulation tool which was also used for
validation of measured parameters. For Comparative analysis, measurement tools such as
Wi-Fi scanners were used to determine the throughput of the wireless network under
various conditions. The study also included various graphical representations which
visually represented the results of measurement and simulation.
Also, a Data analysis of collected data to identify trends in distance was employed. Site
measurement was also done to conduct real-time measurements in indoor environments.
This involved setting up Wi-Fi routers and measuring devices at different distances under
different conditions.
1.5 Tools Used in the Study
i) EMCO Ping Monitor 8:
EMCO PING Monitor 8 is a software that is used to ascertain the number of
packets transmitted, received and lost within a specific period. It also measures
latency in milliseconds for each scenario, providing critical data for performance
evaluation.
ii) Wi-Fi Scanner:
This tool was utilised to determine the throughput of wireless networks under various
conditions. It helps in measuring the performance of Wi-Fi networks during the tests
1.6 Significance of the Study
The Significance of the study “Real-time Wi-fi Network Performance” can be
summarized as follows:
i) Understanding Wi-fi Performance:
The study provides useful insights into the overall performance of Wi-Fi networks
under different conditions, especially in Line-of-Sight and Non-Line-of-Sight
scenarios. This is important for optimizing network design and deployment.
ii) Impact of Environmental Factors:
By analysing factors such as distance and obstacles and how they affect performance
metrics such as throughput, latency, and packet loss, this study highlights the
importance of environmental factors in Wi-Fi performance. This research can guide
network engineers in making decisions on equipment placement.
iii)Validation of Simulation Models:
The comparison between real-world measurements and simulation results help validate
existing Wi-Fi models’ performance.
1.7 Limitations
The study focuses on specific indoor environments(LOS and NLOS conditions ) which
many not always represent all scenarios possible. Conditions such as building
materials, layouts and other interferences could lead to performance outcomes not
covered in this study. The distance constraints covered in this study(12 meters and 20
meters) may not be generalizable to different configurations which limits the
application of the results.
1.8 .0 Future Work
i) Expanded Testing environments:
Future study can involve testing the performance of Wi-Fi in wider scenarios
including outdoor settings and different building materials. This would help in
identifying how diverse conditions affect network performance, which could also
include evaluating and investigating Wi-Fi performance over long distances and
how it affects throughput.
1.8.1 Interference Analysis:
There should be more research on the impacts of various types of
interference, natural and artificial, on Wi-Fi performance. Interference
analysis could research how to reduce interference from other electronic
devices or competing networks.
References
J. M. Sultan, I. A. Osmadi, and Z. Manap, “Real-time Wi-Fi network performance
evaluation,” International Journal of Informatics and Communication Technology (IJ-
ICT), vol. 11, no. 3, p. 193, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.11591/ijict.v11i3.pp193-205.
