As a follow up to IoT. How do they connect to the Internet to then speak to the cloud?
IoT devices have various ways to get online.
- WiFi is common place. Most homes and businesses have it and it saves running cables everywhere.
- Ethernet is possible in most homes but more likely in a business setting. It does require cabling but gives a more reliable connection in critical applications.
- Mobile Internet (4G\5G) speaks for itself. You have a device that has it's own built in communication ability to the mobile networks. Very convenient but has additional costs per device and is typically power hungry requiring frequent charging or permanent power sources.
The 3 communication methods above have many great benefits but rely on permanent power or frequent charging. Plus the WiFi and Ethernet options tether the devices close to a landline or other internet source. Limiting any mobility. There are other possible ways too Satellite up links, local private RF networks, etc. Again costs and lack of roaming hold them back.
This is where the Helium Network comes into it's own. The Helium Network is a global initiative aiming to lay the foundations of a communications network with no centralised owner or share holder. That allows for the connection of IoT devices enabled with the LOWARAN communication protocol. What makes this different to the options above is it allows for devices to roam freely, the device itself doesn't require a single connection point or mobile tariff. All while requiring very little power usage, in some cases between 6-24months of time between charge\battery replacement. There are outliers to this some will be a few days, opposed to hours for a mobile device to 5+ years in low activity devices.
To achieve this coverage multiple manufacturers have produced Hotspots for people to set up at home or work. When setup properly, they will communicate with each other over a range of a few meters to 10s of kilometers. Providing sensors within those ranges the means to send small packets of information to the cloud to be processed in an appropriate way for the device. Whether it is an off the shelf solution, bespoke application for your needs or something you make yourself with freely available tools.
Ok, so what does this really mean? You could place a sensor in a flower bed, then setup an alert to let you know if it needs watered. A farmer could fit sensors to each of their animals to know where they are or have been. A warehouse could track when doors are opened or closed.
I could do this over WiFi! Yes and no. Door sensors yes, flowerbed sensors yes. Cattle certainly not. The issue is your home router only has so many available connections. WiFi requires more power to work. Bluetooth that I haven't mentioned is limited in range.
If we could build a network of Helium Hotspots across the globe. It would allow devices to be used anywhere, without having to know what mobile contract will work where, what the WiFi password is. There are continental restrictions but in most cases that's not a concern.
Even if you don't think you will use the Helium network, you can benefit from setting up your own hotspot. When a hotspot is set up, it will start to earn Helium Tokens called HNT. These tokens can be used to buy Data Credits (DC) to pay for Helium Network connectivity. DC are pegged to cost $0.00001. Typically 1 DC is enough to send one packet of data with enough information for the chosen device.
With no use for DC, you can earn the HNT and save it up, sell it or trade it for other Tokens. This aspect of it is the reward for providing Internet access for IoT devices. Keeping in mind is very different from streaming Netflix or checking Facebook internet access.
The 2 main aspects to Helium are location and hardware. If you want to get in to it there are 2 options: -
- Buy and setup your own. This will take time as wait times for hardware are long, 4-6months in some cases. It does mean you get to keep all the HNT you earn
- Host a hotspot on your property for a share in the rewards. In most cases this requires you to pay nothing, with the exception of supply power, location and internet.
I'll cover ownership and hosting in my next post. I've rambled on to long here.
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