Performance of different

wireless networking
technologies such as: Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, and Zigbee.
 overview of Bluetooth, WiFi
and Zigbee

There are many short-range wireless technologies

used in connecting today’s devices to establish
local area networks. Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
are three common standards used for wireless
local area network (WLAN) connectivity. While all
provide short-range wireless networking, each
technology has distinct capabilities.
 What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless standard for connecting

mobile and fixed devices over 10 meters or less. It uses frequency-
hopping spread spectrum technology in the 2.4GHz band to avoid
interference and fading.
Bluetooth is designed for robust, low power, low cost wireless
connections. It has evolved through several versions improving
data rates up to 3 Mbps. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides
ultra low power consumption for IoT devices. Overall, Bluetooth
excels at short range wireless connections between devices for
audio, data transfer, and control functions.
 WHAT IS WIFI?
What is WiFi
WiFi, short for Wireless Fidelity, provides high-speed
wireless internet and network access using radio waves.
It operates on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands and
can achieve much higher data transfer speeds than
Bluetooth.
With a wireless router or access point, WiFi is used for
convenient wireless internet access up to 50 meters.
With no line-of-sight required, WiFi is convenient for
connecting the Internet and other devices through
access points that create wireless local area networks
(WLANs). WiFi excels at portable wireless internet
access and ad hoc networking.
 WHAT IS ZIGBEE?
Zigbee is a low-power, low data rate protocol. Based on the
IEEE 802.15.4 standard, Zigbee focuses on simple, self-
organizing mesh networks between low battery-powered
devices. Operating in various unlicensed radio bands
including 2.4 GHz, Zigbee uses Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum modulation to provide reliable data transmission
up to 100 meters away.

With data rates up to 250 kbps, Zigbee is suited for periodic

or intermittent transmission of small data packets.
Common Zigbee applications include smart lighting,
thermostats, security systems and other simple IoT devices
that do not require high bandwidth. Zigbee is optimized for
low-power device networking.
 Bluetooth vs WiFi vs Zigbee: feature-by-
feature comparison
Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee are different wireless communication standards.
Looking at their similarities and differences can help further understanding
of these important protocols.

Frequency Bands: Bluetooth operates in the 2.4GHz ISM band, using 40

channels from 2402MHz to 2480MHz for Bluetooth Low Energy. WiFi leverages
both the 2.4GHz spectrum and 5GHz frequency bands, where available spectrum
ranges vary by country. Like Bluetooth, Zigbee utilizes the 2.4GHz ISM band,
specifically 16 channels from 2405MHz to 2480MHz.
Data Rates: WiFi6 offers significantly faster maximum data rates up to
9.6Gbps with the latest 802.11ax standard. In comparison, Bluetooth 5 supports
2Mbps for both Classic and BLE versions, while Zigbee tops out at 250kbps.
However, Zigbee distinguishes itself as an optimized low power solution.
 Bluetooth vs WiFi vs Zigbee: feature-by-
feature comparison
Range: Bluetooth has a typical range of up to 100m. WiFi extends the range to
about 50m indoors and 100m outdoors for 2.4GHz networks. Zigbee has a range
of about 10-100m coverage for smart home and sensor networks. The max range
depends on factors like environment, power output, antenna gain, etc.

Power Consumption: Bluetooth and Zigbee both emphasize low power

consumption, making them perfect for battery-powered devices. Energy
efficiency is a key design priority for BLE. Zigbee uses sleeping nodes to
conserve power across mesh networks. WiFi consumes more power for high
bandwidth but has improved for IoT uses.
 Bluetooth vs WiFi vs Zigbee: feature-by-
feature comparison
Accuracy: Basic Bluetooth provides proximity-based accuracy by assessing signal
strength. WiFi and Zigbee improve on this by using trilateration with multiple
access points to pinpoint a device location. Bluetooth 5 introduces new
accuracy capabilities through angle of arrival (AOA), time of flight (TOF)
measurements, and location beacons to achieve high accuracy.

Network Topology: Bluetooth uses a star topology where all devices connect
directly to a central device. It can also form ad-hoc point-to-point
connections between two devices. WiFi networks typically use a point-to-hub
topology with devices connecting to a central access point. Ad-hoc networks
are also possible where devices connect directly peer-to-peer. Zigbee supports
mesh, star, and tree network topologies. Mesh networks allow flexible routing
while star networks have a central coordinator.
 Bluetooth vs WiFi vs Zigbee: feature-by-
feature comparison

Cost: Bluetooth has a low hardware cost as it is integrated into most devices
today. Operating costs are also low as it uses little power. WiFi hardware costs
are medium as chips and access points are more expensive than Bluetooth
radios. Operating costs are higher due to greater power consumption. Zigbee
aims for low cost simple hardware, making it cheaper than WiFi. Operating
costs are also low owing to optimized low power operation.
 Pros and cons of Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
The features of WiFi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee can lead to different advantages
and limitations for each wireless technology. And their distinct capabilities
result in certain pros and cons.

Pros of Bluetooth
Low power consumption: Bluetooth devices operate on batteries for longer
periods due to lower energy use compared to WiFi.
Secure transmission: Bluetooth employs data encryption protocols to
securely transmit information between devices.
Wide compatibility: Bluetooth is supported on many types of devices like
phones, speakers, headphones making it easy to connect.
 Pros and cons of Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
Cons of Bluetooth
Limited range: The typical 10-100 meter range of Bluetooth restricts its
uses to short distance connections.
Speed limitations: Data transfer speeds are much slower over Bluetooth
compared to WiFi.
Interference prone: Bluetooth is susceptible to interference from other
Bluetooth devices as well as some electronics.
 Pros and cons of Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
Pros of WiFi
High speed data transfer: WiFi, with its high bandwidth, enables fast
downloads, streaming and network access.
Flexibility and mobility: Users can access the network anywhere within the
wireless signal coverage area and move around while staying connected.
Easy to install: A local area network can be set up by installing one or
more access points covering the whole area.
Easy fault location: Faulty devices on a wireless network are easy to
identify and replace to restore connectivity.
 Pros and cons of Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
Cons of WiFi
Power hungry: WiFi uses more power compared to Bluetooth and Xigbee
which can drain batteries quicker.
Signal degradation: Walls and obstacles can weaken WiFi signals reducing
connectivity.
Setup headaches: WiFi networks require passwords, names, and configuring
new devices which can be cumbersome.
 Pros and cons of Bluetooth, WiFi, and Zigbee
Pros of Zigbee
Extremely low power consumption: The optimized power consumption of
Zigbee enables efficient transmission of small packets.
Mesh network: Zigbee devices can transmit data over long distances
through intermediate mesh network nodes.
Built-in security: Zigbee includes encryption and authentication protocols
to keep data secure during transmission.
Cons of Zigbee
Low data rates: Zigbee has much lower maximum data transfer speeds
compared to WiFi and Bluetooth.
Smaller ecosystem: There are fewer compatible devices and platforms that
work with Zigbee compared to the others.