Random Walkers Coverage Experimentation and Evaluation in Low-Cost Wireless Home Networks

The mechanism of random walkers is studied in this paper as a means of disseminating information in resource-constrained networks, such as those encountered in the Internet of Things, a field that is currently emerging in various areas like home networking etc., triggering the creation of new requirements. This leads to an increasing need for effective and drastic solutions. Multiple and replicated random walker mechanisms, which serve as alternative approaches with the ultimate goal of accelerating the coverage of the network, are considered as well. The performance of these mechanisms is experimentally evaluated and compared to past theoretical findings, in a low-cost wireless network deployed on the buildings of a University campus. The obtained experimental results are consistent with previous analytic results, whereas they further indicate the overall time-efficiency in practical applications, showcasing their viability in smart environments.