{"id":49307,"date":"2026-11-03T14:46:33","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T13:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.atim.com\/?p=49307"},"modified":"2026-11-03T15:19:38","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:19:38","slug":"lorawan-repeater-how-to-extend-the-coverage-of-an-iot-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atim.com\/en\/lorawan-repeater-how-to-extend-the-coverage-of-an-iot-network\/","title":{"rendered":"LoRaWAN Repeater : How to Extend the Coverage of an IoT Network ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Some LoRaWAN sensors cannot send their data: they are too far from the gateway, installed underground or hidden behind thick walls. This is known as a white zone<\/strong>. There are two ways to reconnect these sensors: adding a LoRaWAN repeater<\/strong> or installing an additional gateway<\/strong>. The right choice mainly depends on the number of sensors to cover.<\/p>\n

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The LoRaWAN repeater<\/p>\n

For a few isolated sensors, up to 16 per repeater. No Internet connection needed, but the sensors must support relay mode.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The additional gateway<\/p>\n

For an entire area or a large number of sensors. It works with all LoRaWAN sensors, but requires a power supply and a network connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In this article<\/p>\n

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  1. Why does a LoRaWAN network have white zones?<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Solution 1: the LoRaWAN repeater<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Solution 2: adding a gateway<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Repeater or gateway: which one to choose?<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. The ATIM LoRaWAN repeater<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Best practices<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    A sensor at the far end of an underground car park, a meter in a technical room, a probe at the edge of an industrial site: in the field, there are almost always a few devices the gateway cannot reach. Here is how to choose the right solution.<\/p>\n

    Why does a LoRaWAN network have white zones?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    LoRaWAN is designed for long range: outdoors and in open terrain, a gateway can pick up sensors several kilometres away. But the actual range depends heavily on the environment. The most common causes:<\/p>\n

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    Obstacles<\/p>\n

    Reinforced concrete walls, floor slabs, metal structures, terrain.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Basements<\/p>\n

    Car parks, cellars, boiler rooms, utility manholes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Distance<\/p>\n

    Sensors at the edge of a site, on large grounds or in rural areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Gateway position<\/p>\n

    Placed too low or inside a building, it loses much of its range.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    In these cases, the sensor does send its data, but it never reaches the gateway. A relay is then needed between the two.<\/p>\n

    Solution 1: enable LoRaWAN relay mode with a repeater<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    How does a LoRaWAN repeater work?<\/h3>\n

    LoRaWAN relay mode is defined by the LoRa Alliance in the TS011 specification, published in September 2022. A repeater is placed between the isolated sensors and the gateway. It receives messages from sensors that are too far away, then forwards them to the gateway. It works both ways: uplink messages (from the sensor to the network) and downlink messages (from the network to the sensor).<\/p>\n

    The arrows go both ways: messages sent to the sensor (configuration, commands) follow the same path in reverse.<\/p>\n

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    Benefits of the repeater<\/h3>\n