Why Compare
System integrators face a confusing choice of wireless technologies. This article cuts through the noise with a structured comparison based on real Rynon field deployments.
Wi-Fi (2.4 / 5 GHz)
Strengths: high bandwidth (hundreds of Mbps), ubiquitous client devices. Weaknesses: high power consumption, harder to deploy in metal cabinets, complex security setup. Best for: edge gateways with high upstream bandwidth.
Bluetooth Classic
Legacy. Not suitable for metering due to short range and high power. Replaced by BLE for metering applications.
BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
Strengths: low power, broad device ecosystem, smartphone-compatible. Weaknesses: short range without coded PHY. Best for: short-range meter-to-meter or meter-to-gateway links.
Bluetooth Mesh
Strengths: managed flooding, self-healing, low power, scales to hundreds of nodes per network. Weaknesses: limited data rate per node. Best for: in-building distribution metering with up to 200 meters per network.
ZigBee
Strengths: mature mesh, broad sensor ecosystem. Weaknesses: lower penetration in industrial markets, smaller module selection. Best for: residential smart home, less so for industrial power distribution.
Thread / Matter
Strengths: IP-native, Matter-compatible. Weaknesses: still maturing, smaller industrial footprint. Best for: future-proof residential deployments.
LoRa
Strengths: very long range (km-class), low power. Weaknesses: very low data rate, unsuitable for second-by-second metering. Best for: outdoor utility metering, not in-building distribution.
Proprietary Sub-GHz
Strengths: long range, simple stack. Weaknesses: vendor lock-in, no ecosystem. Best for: large outdoor deployments where Wi-Fi is unavailable.
Conclusion
For in-building smart power distribution, Industrial Bluetooth Mesh is the strongest overall choice: right range, right latency, right reliability, right security, right cost. Wi-Fi remains the right upstream link from gateway to network. LoRa and sub-GHz technologies are reserved for outdoor applications.