Modes of inter-network interaction in beacon-enabled IEEE 802.15.4 networks

Future growth in Internet-of-Things applications will lead to an operating environment with many independent networks operating in the same location. Co-existence and internetwork interference in IEEE 802.15.4 networks is particularly interesting because of the popularity of the radio and limited number of “good” channels, making it likely that there will be nearby networks operating on the same channel. This paper presents an in-depth simulation study of internetwork interaction between beacon-enabled IEEE 802.15.4 networks using contention-based slotted CSMA and contention-free GTS allocations. We use simple scenarios intended to highlight the underlying modes of interaction between interfering networks. Our results reveal several complex behaviors, including episodes of large, slow oscillations in throughput and long periods of disconnection interspersed with short bursts of high throughput. These results have practical implications for the design and evaluation of protocols and applications for use in future IoT environments.