Improving Reliability in Long Multi-Hop Wireless Sensor Networks

Reliability is a major challenge in long multi- hop Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) due to the accumulation of transmission errors across multiple nodes. This work proposes an approach to enhance network reliability using Forward Error Correction (FEC) techniques combined with efficient routing and energy-aware communication strategies. Different error correction methods, including per- hop, end-to-end, and hybrid approaches, are analyzed under varying hop counts and message lengths. An analytical model based on binomial probability distribution is developed and validated through simulation and Monte Carlo analysis. Results show that the hybrid correction strategy, along with multi-sink architecture, significantly improves packet delivery ratio and reduces error accumulation. The proposed method enhances overall network performance and extends node lifetime, making it suitable for applications such as environmental monitoring, healthcare systems, industrial automation, and smart agriculture.