Networking For IoT: Basics Of Computer Networking
The Internet Of Things (IoT) is becoming ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Be it digital assistants like Alexa, fitness bands, motion sensor-activated light bulbs, or smart security cameras, these devices are becoming increasingly a part of our networks at home and in the workplace. As we become more and more dependent on these devices and technologies, our networks are becoming increasingly congested.
In this blog post, I will discuss the challenges in setting up and maintaining IoT networks. This blog post will cover the following topics:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects or “things” capable of connecting to and exchanging data with other devices and systems over a network, usually the Internet. The IoT devices are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that enable them to collect and exchange data with other devices over the network.
The IoT is an enormous network of connected devices that collect data about their use and the environment around them. The data collected by the IoT devices is stored in the cloud where it can be processed and analyzed, based on which the devices can automate tasks and require fewer inputs or touches from the user.
IoT brings the power of data processing and analytics to real-world physical devices, which is the most important characteristic of IoT. The large amounts of data collected are analyzed using Artificial intelligence (AI) or Machine learning (ML) and the insights generated are either shared with the user or used to automate systems, performing tasks directly without human intervention.
For example, a smart thermostat records the temperature set by the user, the time of the day, and weather conditions over a period of time. And based on the analysis of this data, it will automatically set the optimal temperature, as well as increase or decrease the temperature based on the time of the day or weather conditions.
An important thing to note is that IoT devices do not necessarily have to connect to the public Internet. To fulfill their function IoT devices simply need to be connected to a network, be individually addressable, and be able to transmit data to a central storage device such as a server, physical or virtual.
IoT has gained popularity in the consumer market mainly because of the concept of the “smart home”, which consists of lighting, thermostat, smart locks, cameras, and other devices that are connected to the Internet and can all be centrally controlled using a smartphone application or voice assistant/smart speaker.
However, IoT includes devices of all shapes and sizes- from smart printers that can automatically place orders for ink when running low, to self-driving cars, to sophisticated industrial tools. In fact, IoT is widely used in healthcare and industrial manufacturing, and is also driving the concept of “smart cities”.
There are a wide variety of IoT devices that perform different functions but they all work in a similar way. In the simplest form, here’s how an IoT system works: A device collects data from its environment and sends the data to a system, which is capable of storing and processing the data. Insights drawn from the collected data are shared with the user or used to directly optimize the performance of the device.
In order to perform the above function, an IoT system requires the following four components- sensor, connectivity, data processing, and user interface. Let’s look at each in the following sections.
Sensor
An IoT device is essentially a sensor that collects data from the environment and/or about its own usage. The collected data can range from simple temperature readings to surveillance videos. IoT devices are usually small and have little to no data processing capabilities. Their hardware and embedded software are designed to simply collect data.
Ultimately, all of the collected data needs to be communicated to another device, processor, or software. And this communication is enabled by wired but more commonly wireless connection.
Connectivity
The physical part of an IoT device usually consists of an integrated CPU, network adapter, and firmware. The networking and communication protocols vary but commonly include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), NFC (Near Field Communication), and Bluetooth.
Since the IoT devices need to connect to a network and be individually addressable, they need to be assigned unique IP addresses, which is done by a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Although most IoT devices are designed to operate on private networks, they can be accessed over the public Internet. The devices typically connect to an IoT gateway or edge device, which is capable of processing data locally or transmitting it to the cloud.
Data Processing
IoT devices are designed to be small and unobtrusive. Consequently, they usually do not have computing resources to process the collected data. So, the data is sent to a server, usually the cloud, where the data processing takes place.
The raw sensor data is converted into a machine-readable form. AI and ML models then read, process, and analyze the data to draw insights and suggest actions based on the inputs.
User Interface
The user interface (UI) is where the end-users can interact with the device. On most consumer devices, the UI is usually a smartphone application or smart speaker/voice assistant. After the IoT system analyzes and draws insights from the data, the results are shared with the user on the UI.
For example, a home security system can send a security alert to the phone application when it analyzes the video feed from the smart camera and detects intruders in the home.
Although IoT adoption has been growing, it is still a relatively new technology and all aspects of its implementation and use haven’t been completely hashed out. Like any new technology, IoT comes with its own challenges, here are four of the biggest ones:
1. Scalability
IoT presents major scalability challenges encompassing network performance, complexity, and cost. A vast interconnected network of endpoints demands efficient connectivity, maintenance, and management requiring dedicated IT resources.
There are also performance, cost, and scalability trade-offs when choosing one network topology over another for your IoT devices. In addition, requirements of cabling - Ethernet and power and extra relaying routers to ensure sufficient coverage add to the complexity of network configuration and management.
The primary function of an IoT device is to collect and transmit data. Depending on the number of devices, users, and data collected, the network may have to handle millions of daily transmissions. The network needs to be capable of not just data deliverability but also seamless integration of new devices and users into the network without disrupting existing operations.
2. Long-Term Device Interoperability
There has been a lot of buzz around IoT and concurrently IoT technology has also been developing at breakneck speed. This has resulted in the emergence of a lot of players in the IoT ecosystem, each specializing in certain devices and technologies. So there is an enormous complexity of heterogeneous devices and technologies in the IoT space.
The lack of standardization also means that there are serious device interoperability and backward compatibility challenges. It is easy for organizations to get swept into adopting an IoT ecosystem that does not play well with other systems. This can hinder the organization’s ability to capitalize on new technologies and innovations as they come to market.
Therefore, networks must be flexible and should keep clear of vendor lock-in. When adopting technologies, it is best to opt for robust technologies ratified by organizations such as IEEE, ETSI, etc. so as to ensure interoperability and cross-vendor support.
3. Security
IoT presents a huge security challenge because of the sheer number and variety of devices and technologies. Every device is a potential entry point for hackers. If a hacker is able to gain access to one IoT device, they virtually gain access to the entire IoT network and in the worst case, even the entire network.
It is sufficient to say that even the smallest, apparently innocuous device is important for the security of your network. IoT security is particularly critical because it is concerned with not just cybersecurity but also data security and privacy.
I have talked about the security of IoT networks in detail in our blog post: How To Secure Your IoT Devices And Infrastructure.
4. Device Management
As I mentioned earlier, an IoT ecosystem can contain a wide variety of devices and technologies. Managing this new multitude of devices and applications in addition to the existing infrastructure including desktops, laptops, network equipment, servers, etc. is a daunting task.
Monitoring, maintaining, and ensuring optimal performance of the IoT ecosystem, where every device has its own software, applications, and updates compounds the already challenging task of device lifecycle management.
Designing a network for IoT devices is similar to designing a computer network, which I have discussed in detail in our earlier blog post: Designing A Computer Network For Your Business: A Step-By-Step Guide. So I will only summarize the steps here, elaborating on only those steps that are different.
Here are the steps for designing a network for IoT:
1. Gather Requirements For Your IoT Network
2. Size Your IoT Network
3. Study Your Office Floor Plan
4. Choose A Network Protocol
Several network protocols are commonly used for IoT devices. These include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and LoRaWAN. Each protocol has its own advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that most suits your use case.
5. Create A Network Design
6. Document Your Network Design
7. Configure IoT devices
After setting up the network infrastructure, it is necessary to configure the devices. This activity includes setting up networking credentials, configuring security settings, and any other settings necessary for the proper functioning of the IoT devices.
8. Test The Network
After configuring the IoT devices, you need to test them to ensure that they are working as intended. The testing usually involves checking connectivity, data transmission, and security measures.
IoT networks are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. Securing an IoT ecosystem involves focusing on three broad fronts, namely, IoT device security, network security, and data security. I have covered these in earlier blog posts, which you can access using the following links:
Conclusion
IoT is slowly but surely transforming our worlds. The ability to use voice to control an array of smart devices and appliances is only the beginning. IoT systems not only collect data but also learn from them, helping make us more efficient and saving us money.
But harnessing the power of IoT technology, especially in a business environment, requires a fair amount of thought and planning. Scalability, interoperability, device management, and security are some of the main challenges that need to be addressed upfront.
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