Skip to content

Wireless IoT Protocols and Implementations

Protocol Frequency Range Data Rate Security Features Common Use Cases
Zigbee 2.4 GHz 10-100 meters 250 kbps AES-128 encryption, application layer security Home automation, smart energy
Z-Wave 800-900 MHz 30-100 meters 9.6-100 kbps AES-128 encryption, application layer security Home automation, healthcare
Wi-Fi 2.4 & 5 GHz 50+ meters Up to 6000 Mbps WPA3, WPA2, WEP, AES encryption, Enterprise security options High bandwidth applications, home networks
Bluetooth (incl. BLE) 2.4 GHz 1-100 meters 1-3 Mbps (BLE) AES-128 encryption, application layer security, ECDH for key exchange Wearables, healthcare, smart homes
LoRaWAN Various (sub-GHz) 2-5 km (urban), 15+ km (rural) 0.3-50 kbps AES-128 encryption, end-to-end encryption Smart cities, agricultural sensors
Sigfox Sub-GHz 30-50 km 100-600 bps AES-128 encryption Low-power applications, asset tracking
NB-IoT Sub-GHz 1-10 km 250 kbps E2E encryption, SIM-based security, secure boot Smart meters, smart city infrastructure
LTE-M (LTE Cat-M1) Sub-GHz 1-10 km 1 Mbps E2E encryption, SIM-based security, secure boot Wearables, vehicle tracking
Thread 2.4 GHz 10-30 meters 250 kbps AES encryption, secure mesh networking, device authentication Connected home, security systems
MQTT - Depends on network Depends on network TLS/SSL support, username/password, ACLs for permissions Remote sensors, home automation, messaging
CoAP - Depends on network Depends on network DTLS for security, supports TLS for TCP Smart homes, energy management
  • Frequency: The radio frequency at which the protocol operates.
  • Range: The typical communication range between devices.
  • Data Rate: The maximum achievable data transmission speed.
  • Security Features:
  • AES-128 encryption: A symmetric key encryption standard that provides good security.
  • WPA3/WPA2: Security protocols for Wi-Fi networks, with WPA3 being the latest and most secure.
  • ECDH: Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman, a secure key exchange protocol.
  • SIM-based security: Utilizes the SIM card for secure key storage and authentication.
  • Secure boot: Ensures the device boots using only software that is trusted by the device manufacturer.
  • TLS/SSL: Protocols for securing data communications over networks.
  • DTLS: Datagram Transport Layer Security, a derivative of TLS designed for datagram protocols.
  • ACLs: Access Control Lists, which specify which users or system processes are granted access to objects.