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Andrea Finardi Iot simulations with Cisco Packet TracerBog'liq 2.3 (3)2.3 IoT Networking Overview
As discussed in the previous chapters the NIST definition of cloud is quite accurately
listing characteristics, service models and deployment models, however it does not refer
to networks. Networks in IoT are not in fact a characteristic but they are enablers.
One key-contributor factor for the success widespread of IoT technology is in fact due to
the raise of modern, fast, reliable, low-latency and low-cost networks.
Specifically for IoT the most common network types range between Bluetooth, traditional
Wireless Local Area Network (WAN), cellular and a new generation of Lower-Power
Wide Area Network (LPWAN).
At the moment in the IoT industry there a no standards for networking [8], however few
technologies have a clear advantage compared to other.
WLAN and Bluetooth technology are without any doubt the most common type of con-
sumer network in the market at the moment. They both work in a license-free radio fre-
quency band, they both ensure a good bandwidth transfer rate and they both requires
fairly inexpensive receivers. Limitation comes however from the fact that they have evi-
dent range limitation that precludes them to be the main choice for being used in exten-
sive IoT applications. Range in fact is limited to few tens of meters in WLAN and few
meters for Bluetooth connection.
As IoT industrial applications are intended to work mostly with devices distributed in a
wide area, often with bad cellular coverage, and that would require a strict power man-
agement to extend the battery lifetime, a new technology of Lower-Power Wide Area
Networking (LPWAN) is raising in IoT. [9]
LPWAN are networks that combine technologies in order to achieve long-distance, ro-
bust and low-bitrate communications with battery operated sensors geographically lo-
cated in a wide area.
The three most important LPWAN technologies are LoRaWAN, SigFox, and Narrowband
IoT. These three technology are briefly covered in the next chapters.
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