oa Characterization of the indoor/outdoor radio propagationchannel at 2.4 GHz on Qatar University campus

This technical report presents the site-specific signal strength measurement results for path loss, shadowing, and fading in the 2.4GHz band under typical harsh environment (high temperature 40-50 C and humidity 80-90%). We used spectrum analyzer Rohde & Schwarz FSH8 and InSSIDer, free software for wireless local area networks (WLANs). Measurements were taken in indoor and outdoor environments at various locations at different times of the day. An empirical channel model has been derived from these measurements that characterizes the indoor-outdoor wireless channel. This report provides information that would be useful for the design and deployment of wireless mesh network in Qatar University.

For a radio communication system, the channel describes how the electromagnetic propagation of a transmitted signal provides that signal at the receiver. In a mobile communication system, the channel changes according to the movement of the communicating entities and other objects that have an effect on the electromagnetic fields at the receiver.

In the last decade, most of the indoor wired networks have been replaced by wireless networks. These networks can also provide outdoor connectivity inside the campus areas. WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 are largely deployed to provide users with network connectivity without being tethered to a wired network.Wireless networks can provide nearly the same services and capabilities commonly expected with wired networks. Like their wired counterparts, IEEE 802.11 has been developed to provide large bandwidth to users located in indoor and outdoor campus environments and are being studied as an alternative to the high installation and maintenance costs incurred by traditional additions, deletions, and changes experienced in wired LAN infrastructures. Because of the unlicensed spectrum availability, IEEE 802.11 WLAN devices operate in the ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) band at 2.4GHz or 5GHz. For an accurate planning of indoor/outdoor radio networks the modeling of the propagation channel is required.