When working with sensors in large buildings, a practical and important question inevitably arises: how to ensure stable data connectivity across the entire site and between multiple gateways, without overloading infrastructure or increasing costs unnecessarily.
Exploring and testing new approaches is part of how our team works, which is why we carried out a LoRaWAN connectivity experiment. The goal was to understand how flexibly and efficiently a sensor network can be designed in real, large-scale buildings.
The scenario
The building is equipped with indoor climate sensors measuring CO₂ levels, temperature, and humidity. These sensors use the LoRaWAN protocol, operating at the 868 MHz frequency, which is well suited for going through the walls and covering large areas indoors. Sensor data is transmitted to a LoRaWAN gateway - a device equipped with a SIM card and mobile internet connection - through which the data is forwarded to the central system.
In smaller buildings, this setup works without issues. However, as building size increases and the distance between sensors grows, it becomes clear that not all sensors can maintain a stable connection to a single gateway. A straightforward solution would be to install a second LoRaWAN gateway, but this would also require an additional SIM card, another data plan, and higher long-term operational costs.
This led to the core question behind the experiment: does every gateway really need its own mobile internet connection?
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The experiment
During the experiment, we installed a second LoRaWAN gateway, but this time without a SIM card. Instead, WiFi HaLow devices were used to connect the two gateways. WiFi HaLow operates below 1 GHz, making it suitable for longer distances and complex building environments.
As a result, the second LoRaWAN gateway collected sensor data and sent it to the data server through the first gateway using a Wi-Fi HaLow connection, eliminating the need for a separate SIM card.
Conclusions
The experiment demonstrated that LoRaWAN and WiFi HaLow can effectively complement each other, particularly in large buildings and facilities with complex layouts. It is possible to extend sensor coverage without increasing the number of SIM cards and the associated costs, while still maintaining stable data flow and a flexible network architecture.
This approach is not a universal solution for every scenario, but it clearly shows that by intelligently combining different wireless technologies, it is possible to build a more efficient and economically sound data infrastructure for buildings. Experiments like this help bridge the gap between theoretical capabilities and how technologies actually perform in real-world conditions.
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