Smart Home Communication Technologies and Applications: Wireless Protocol Assessment for Home Area Network Resources

 

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Energies
2015
, 
8 
7296 
 
5. Wireless HAN 
5.1. Based on IEEE Standards 
The IEEE Standards comprise a family of networking standards that cover the media access control 
(MAC) and PHY specifications for implementing wireless networks.
IEEE 802.11 series standardize PHY and MAC layers for wide local area networks (WLAN) by 
employing frequency radio bands at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. This range of standards and further evolutions 
offer the basis for wireless network products using the well-known Wi-Fi brand. WiFi is a popular
IP-based wireless technology used in home networks, mobile phones, video games, and other 
electronic devices.
This set provides mobility, flexibility, and low-cost connection with the wired technology which 
makes it appropriate at the distribution level where the performance requirements and data rate are less 
strict and the cost of technology is more significant. Furthermore, advanced security and the QoS can 
in addition be reached using this technology [66]. 
The IEEE 802.15.4 is a standard for low-power, low data rate wireless communication between 
small devices. This standard only defines PHY and medium access control (MAC) layers, is currently 
the most widely adopted standard for WSN for low power, low data rate (250 kb/s at 2.4 GHz),
low complexity, and short range transmission [67]. 
Above IEEE 802.15.4, there are several standards like ZigBee, MiWi, 6LoWPAN, WirelessHART 
and ISA100.11a. In addition, these higher layer protocols define the suggested application framework, 
device profile, network layer, and security services among other functionalities. 
Bluetooth is designed for applications that are primarily based on computer peripherals, such as 
wireless keyboard and mouse. Bluetooth or IEEE 802.15.1 is a standard intended to be a secured and 
cheap way of connecting and transferring data amongst supported devices, creating a PAN. At present, 
many versions of Bluetooth are available such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is a short-range 
wireless transmission technology targeting low complexity, low-cost, communication in wireless BAN 
by utilizing frequency radio bands from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz [68]. 
Table 1 shows in detail the wireless networking protocols supported on IEEE Standards. 

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Energies