International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962

Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)

www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

Review of Wireless Sensor Networks

Khairi Salem Ahmed
Faculty of Science, Department of Information Technology, Bani Waleed University, LIBYA

Corresponding Author: loronjem@gmail.com

ABSTRACT 2.1 Definition

This article presents a study of the state of the art A wireless sensor network is a network of small
of sensor networks wireless systems, which continue to embedded computer systems placed in the physical
develop and present a wide variety of Applications. These world, and capable of interact with this [2]. Gómez, [3],
networks constitute a current and emerging field of study presents another definition as a set of autonomous
where combines the development of computers, wireless
elements (nodes) interconnected wirelessly, measuring
communications and devices mobile phones and integration
with other disciplines such as agriculture, biology, variables such as movement, pressure, temperature and
medicine, etc. I know presents the main concept, humidity, etc.
components, topologies, standards, applications, problems If the sensors used are of a size that measured in
and challenges, then delves into security solutions and millimetres or micrometres, the technology necessary is
concludes with basic simulation tools. already of the nanotechnology type. Instead of sensor
networks, the name dust is often used smart (smart dust).
Keywords-- Sensor Nodes, Security, Applications, If they are robots, they talk about fog utility (utility fog).
Wireless The sensor networks are distributed in a specific area
and nodes can be stationary or mobile. A network of
mobile nodes, form an ad hoc network capable of routing
I. INTRODUCTION between them. His training is by auto-configuration on a
physical topology arbitrary, under frequent modification
Sensors have traditionally been elements by node movements, departures, arrivals and failures
indispensable in industrial processes due to the ability participants.
they provided to monitor and manipulate the physical Sensor networks have the following tasks
quantities involved in the different production processes. typical [4]:
The connectivity between the sensors was performed  Determine an environmental parameter: heat,
through the use of traditional wired networks. Currently pressure, light, radiation, presence of smoke,
the continuous technological advances have encouraged humidity, noise, friction
the development of devices with wireless  Detect events: presence, arrival, movement,
communication capabilities, arranged in any location, vibration, flow
more and more small, autonomous, more powerful and  Estimate parameters: speed, direction
with a more efficient battery consumption; from there  Classify detected objects
arises the wireless sensor networks (WSN, Wireless  Follow the path of a detected object the network
Sensor Network), which are composed of a series of itself has no value, but the outputs.
thousands, even millions of sensors, called nodes, which 2.2 Characteristics
have the capacity to storage, processing and energy Among the characteristics of the networks of
limited. sensors are the following [1], [3], [5]:
The continuous development of these particular Topology and Maintenance: In general, the nodes that
networks has caused its incorporation and use in areas form the sensor networks are characterized for being
very disparate. From environmental monitoring randomly distributed without following no regular
(humidity, temperature, light, etc.) essential for the topology. Because of this recommends that maintenance
development of home automation, going through and configuration is completely autonomous (does not
military, industrial, medical or commercial [1]. require the human intervention) by using distributed
In this article, we present a study of the algorithms.
fundamental concepts of sensor networks wireless, Energy Limitations: One of the main bottlenecks that
applications, standards main, challenges, basic problems, we find in the operations performed by the sensors is, the
latest solutions raised on the subject of security, energy availability of nodes. The sensors in most cases
simulation tools, and others Research topics. have batteries that are characterized by not being able to
be recharged, which makes this problem the main
II. BASICS OF SENSOR NETWORKS restriction when developing new protocols. Increase the
lifetime of a sensor will therefore involve reducing the

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International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

levels of tolerance or limiting the precision of results Dynamic Routing: Sensor Networks must be able to
obtained. adapt to changes in node connectivity. Therefore, the
Hardware and Software Specific: The microcontroller, protocols routing used must be prepared to include or
operating system, and applications developed for WSN's exclude nodes from your routes.
must consider energy limitations previously exposed. Temporal Restrictions: Although the WSN’s must
The operating system more used as a basis for the support real-time communications between the different
construction of applications in wireless sensor networks, nodes, this should not harm to delay characteristics,
is TinyOS [6], developed at the University of Berkeley bandwidth u other quality of service parameters of
[7]. networks (Quality of Service, QoS).
Synchronization of Devices: So that the treatment of Safety: Considering the end use for which the sensor
information that is spread by a network of sensors is network is developed, the security in communications
carried out correctly, nodes must be synchronized. can be a very important when determining protocols that
Therefore, in the WSN's must impose processes of will develop in the different layers of the nodes. This is
access to the mean by multiple division in time (Time the clear example of the networks of sensors used in the
Division Multiple Access, TDMA) and sorting military field.
temporary so that the detection of the events is produce 2.3 Elements
unambiguous.

Figure 1: Components of a Sensor Network wireless

Sensors: Of different nature and technology take the 2.4 Topology

information from the medium and convert it in electrical Wireless sensor networks have the following
signals. types of devices [8], as shown in figure 2:
Motes: Or radio processors, take the sensor data through Full-Function Devices (FFD):
your gates data, and send the information to the station  Any topology
base.  Able to act as a network coordinator (in
Node: It is a sensor / mote personal area network, PAN)
Gateway: Elements for interconnection between the  Talk to any other device
sensor network and a TCP / IP network  Reduced function device (RFD):
Base Station: Data collector based on a common  Only in star topology
computer or embedded system.  Cannot be a network coordinator
Wireless Network: Typically based on the 802.15.4
 Only speak to network coordinators
standard, ZigBee.
 Very simple implementation.
Personal Area Network Coordinator (PAN): the main
coordinator node of the network.

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International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

Figure 2: Device types

The topology can be mesh, star, cluster of stars,

illustrated in figure 3 respectively.

Figure 3: Mesh topologies (left), star (centre) and star cluster (right).

In topologies then, there is a coordinator or high restrictions on the energy consumption [8]. Instead
direct communication between nodes (peer-topeer) [1]. they have developed other more specific protocols that
2.5 Standards they partly solve that problem. In a very simple,
The network is based on some of the standards protocols based on negotiation using descriptors before
wireless, indicated in table 1, where there will be to transmit the information, thus avoiding part of the
reach a compromise between [2]: redundancy; direct broadcast based on reactive routing
 Transmission speed originated at destination; the one of energy saving also
 Coverage of the reactive type but based exclusively on
 Energy cost per package sent. probabilities of energy consumption; the multipath based
Currently the standard chosen for this type of on increase network availability when the optimal path is
networks, it is IEEE 802.15.4, which is supported and not available; and finally Control of access to the
promoted by ZigBee [9]: medium but specific to sensor networks and called: S-
 20-250 Kbs MAC . [5]
 1-100 Meters Routing on Networking Ad hoc Wireless: [10]
 Up to 2 years of battery A Wireless Ad Hoc network is understood as a set of
Zigbee: Technology addressed to the needs of low-cost distributed nodes randomly in a D-dimensional space.
wireless network market based on the IEEE 802.15.4 On the same, communication can be generated by any
standard, [3]. Was initiated as a non-profit industrial node of the network, which therefore acts as source, to
consortium to define global specifications of reliable, any other node, which assumes the target paper. This
economical and affordable wireless applications low communication occurs using a multi-hop scheme in
power based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. which the data are relayed by a series of nodes
2.6 Routing intermediate until reaching the latter. The protocols from
Conventional distribution protocols for data or routing plus representative, classified according to
routing is not efficient in this type networks with such whether it is uniform or non-uniform.

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International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

Uniform or planar structure classification, capacities in terms of computing, energy or storage

figure 5, indicates that all nodes in the network perform among others. This allows them to support more
the same functions and possess the same characteristics. algorithms complex, reduce the overload due to
In this case, no at no cost of structure maintenance of the communication and offer the possibility of balancing
network; however, they adapt very little measure to load while maintaining their characteristics even with
extensions while preserving their same benefits. increases in the number of nodes in network; on the
Non-uniform classification, figure 6, is typical contrary, they generate a certain cost of many cases the
of hierarchical structures in which some nodes develop availability of nodes heterogeneous.
special roles and can even be endowed with particular

Figure 5: Uniform and Non-uniform routing protocols

In each of the classifications, in uniform and saturation of the network as a result of the flooding of
non-uniform, protocols present a new peculiarity the same with route request messages
regarding the procedure adopted for the discovery of the Hybrid: generally used for protocols not uniforms.
path to establish and its maintenance. From this point of Includes both procedures above at different levels of
view, you can differentiate between: routing. Thus, it is possible to reduce the overhead of the
Proactive: its operation is based on tables, created from network with control messages presented by protocols
an original phase of route discovery, which house the active, while the latency of search operations displayed
information referring to the roads in the network based between reagents.
on different criteria. This information is scoped global In the case of uniform protocols, whether it is
and therefore all nodes retain possible paths to the rest. reactive or active, there is a classification that obeys the
For the dissemination of the same, the nodes exchange type of network status information that they drive the
these data either periodically or before the appearance of nodes for proceed to the routing. According to this
a change in her. Protocols assets make sending data to criterion, a protocol uniform is based on:
occur with a negligible delay due to the fact that the Topology: nodes maintain information referred to the
information about the route to follow is available global set of the network. A group important of these
previously; however, they consume resources from the protocols are those based on the link status, in which the
network, energy, computing, storage, etc., Regardless of information on the connections established by each node
the degree of use of the route. with its neighbours is disseminated throughout the
Reagent: also called "on demand". Routes are only built network in such a way that any node knows the link
in the moment where a node needs to establish a scheme of the same. This approach is not optimally
communication. It is at that precise moment when a adapted to the dynamic nature of this type of network;
discovery phase of route that ends once the source without However, information of such calibre affects
receives the fate response including the chosen path for very positively in the selection of the best route, the load
sending data. Maintenance cost routes decreases greatly, balancing or quality management service.
at the cost of introduce a latency produced by the Destination: knowledge in this case is restricted at the
generation initial road and a possible problem of local level. The largest group among this class of
protocols are called "Distance-vector" since, instead of

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International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

paths complete, maintain a certain measure of distance to Below is a study of the main problems and
different destinations (usually the number jumps) and the latest solutions raised on the issue of security in network
direction vector towards them (the identifier of the next wireless sensors, key management and encryption,
hop node). analysis of handling mechanisms of keys, authentication
Position: knowledge of each node is based on the and discovery.
geographic coordinates of himself and the rest. The a. Key Management and Encryption
principle of routing consists of the sequential approach Much of the security implementations in
to the destination by implementing jumps to the WSNs, they use encryption and handling schemes of
neighbour that is closer to it. In topology networks keys. The main problem to solve is make the
homogeneous is a very efficient technique; without management scheme efficient enough so that if a
However, in the presence of discontinuities u obstacles intruder manages to capture a node, it is not possible
must be supported by algorithms specific to improve access all the keys of the network and therefore the
your performance; the same time, this approach requires confidential system information. The different authors
a system of absolute or relative positioning, which limits investigating solutions for WSN security, they perform
considerably its application. assumptions regarding the capacity of different nodes.
For their part, non-uniform protocols can be As stated above, the sensors possess capabilities from
classified according to the type of organization present, processing, storage and a source of limited energy,
differentiating them according to their basis in: however, it is possible to find a small group of nodes,
Zone: nodes are grouped according to zone geographical whose resources are not are so limited, called superior or
area they occupy. Thus, the path to scope maintenance cluster head (cell). For these cases, the network it is
overhead local of the same. Once again, you need the heterogeneous [19], [20].
knowledge of the position of the nodes and the Unlike [13] where only one is used Key pool, in
consequent system that provides it. [17], two pools are managed, one transmission and one
Group: the association of nodes is carried out around return. Before the deployment, each node is given,
one of them (cluster head) who acts as leader of the randomly, two rings of m / 2 keys of each pool (where m
group, taking responsibility for the high and low nodes is the total number of keys per node). The pools are
in the group and of certain functions routing hierarchies. updated through a Hash function [11], after a period of
This hierarchy reduces network control overhead from time or generation. Each pool has P / 2 keys, where P is
nodes that, in most cases, require capabilities wider than the total number of keys in the system. The Return keys
the rest. are generated using string Lamport based on Hash [12],
Spinal Column: a set of nodes are dynamically selected starting with the keys that correspond to the latest
to form a backbone of the network. To said nodes are generation. After deployment, each node starts the
assigned special functions such as construction of roads recognition of your neighbours by sending a message
and the spread of control and data packages. The rest of with your ID and the generation number in the which
the nodes are supports them to carry out their was deployed. If a neighbour finds keys common, send a
establishment of path for desired communication. One reply message with your ID and his generation.
more time, a high capacity to adapt to network Following the line, in [13] two schemes where
extensions and control of the routing at a lower cost; they use different pools. The first scheme is called
Conversely, a certain expense of structure maintenance. ABAB, due to the use of two pools of keys, A and B,
and a third set (S) that is composed of the keys shared by
III. SECURITY PROBLEMS AND A and B. m keys are chosen of A and are stored in a
SOLUTIONS node and m keys of B and they are stored in another
node. It continues the same process until all the sensors
of the net.

Figure 13: ABAB diagram

61 This Work is under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

The ABCD scheme, for its part, uses 2r pools, pools. The deployment is shown in figure 14. Once the
where r is the number of rows of nodes to display. In this deployment, the protocols of [13], [14] to establish even
case, the set S, comprises the keys shared by the 2nd keys between nodes.

Figure 14: ABCD scheme

For encryption, in [18] it is assumed that the encryption keys cannot be generated and decryption
nodes share a symmetric key with the base station and [15].
they know the public key of the BS, in addition they The algorithm [19], can force the exit of a node
have key pairs symmetric with the neighbours. Another compromised, by isolating it from the system when
simple consideration is found in the scheme of [19], generates damage to the network, but its effectiveness it
where before deployment, select a master key and decide depends on the resources of the node. Some schemes,
the maximum size of each cell. Each sensor is assigned a although they are novel, possess great computational
key, encrypted in the master key. The BS gives the nodes complexity [22] or compromise chip size and increase
a group key and compute a polynomial function f (x) of node power consumption, decreasing its life time [23]
a field finite or Galois GF [20], which are obtained The mechanisms that have heterogeneous networks,
through of m + 1 points (x, y) random (the points enjoy the advantage over systems homogeneous, the
correspond to node locations). The functions f (1), f (2) possibility of downloading the security to nodes that
and f (m), together with the time value current t, have greater resources processing and storage, achieving
encrypted in the group key and without encrypt, they are ease the functioning of common nodes and in general of
sent as broadcast to the nodes. Each sensor, according to the network.
the Shamir scheme [21], determine the key with the Within the open topics for future work, the
functions received. Then check if the found key is following aspects are found:
authentic, decrypting the current time t and comparing it Improve the ability to add and remove nodes in
with the received. If it is necessary to send or renew the the network without compromising system security.
keys, they are encrypted with the old key. Whether finds Reduce energy consumption, decrease header or
a corrupted node, recalculates the polynomial function overhead of messages generated by the different
excluding the locations of the affected nodes. algorithms. Check the effectiveness of mechanisms in
b. Analysis of Management Mechanisms of Keys various networks and topologies. Improve policies to
The key handling mechanisms they use the key renew passwords that allow to reduce the time of
pool concept, they must have nodes with big capabilities operation.
from storage, which is impossible in the Insofar as the
sensors have limitations in the memory. However, when IV. SIMULATION TOOLS
the keys are renewing every certain period and the nodes
that die are replaced, the number of nodes compromised In most cases the devices used for the
decreases considerably, as in [17]. If, in addition, as in implementation of sensor networks wireless are
[13], work with more than one pool, which can be reused characterized by being small, autonomous, very
in different areas, the rings of keys of each node can numerous and with important energy limitations. All
increase achieving greater security and better these factors cause the analytical studies to be carried out
connectivity. The mechanisms that need nodes have to be very complex and experimental studies very
prior knowledge of their location, they can only be used expensive. Therefore, we see the need that exists by
in applications where the network is deployed in a researchers and developers of carry out previous
manual and premeditated. However, they have a simulations [1] before the physical implementation of
advantage over other mechanisms when used master these networks.
keys that the attacker does not know and therefore both

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International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume-11, Issue-5 (October 2021)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.11.5.7

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