Interference of IEEE 802.11n Networks upon IEEE 802.15.4-Based WBANs: An Experimental Study

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) must comply with stringent communication requirements. One of these requirements is reliable data delivery. However, it is well-know that wireless networks operating in the same frequency range and using overlapping channels, tend to experience interferences that may compromise the network Quality of Service. This paper presents an experimental assessment of the interference of IEEE 802.11n networks upon IEEE 802.15.4-based WBANs, operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. A set of experimental tests were performed, in compliance with the IEEE 802.15.2 standard to assess the coexistence of IEEE 802.15.4 and IEEE 802.11n nodes, operating in overlapping and non-overlapping communication channels. The performed experimental tests considered different distances between the IEEE 802.11n access point and the IEEE 802.15.4 coordinator, as well as different communication channels, and different IEEE 802.11n network data rates. The experimental results highlight a strong interference between both networks, with a clear impact upon the communication reliability.