Fairness Evaluation in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Comprehensive Simulation-Based Study

In the era of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are essential because they provide the framework for widespread and effective data collection. It is crucial to maintain equity in performance metrics to maximize network utilization and offer equal service to every node. In this paper, we present a comprehensive assessment of fairness in WSNs, with a focus on Node Level (NL) metrics such as latency and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR). A WSN is subjected to various configurations, including different network densities and data lengths, using the Contiki OS and Cooja simulator. The Jain Index is used to quantify the fairness assessment, which provides insights into the equitable distribution of resources and performance across the network. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how both network density and data length affect fairness, highlighting the importance of considering network parameters in designing MAC protocols such as CSMA/CA to optimize WSNs.