Protocols & Standards
Explore 6 terms in the protocols & standards category of our smart home glossary.
Matter
Matter is the smart home industry's attempt to finally get everyone to play nice together. It's an open connectivity standard that lets devices from different brands (Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, you name it) actually work with each other without the usual compatibility headaches.
Learn more →MQTT
MQTT is the messaging backbone of DIY smart homes. It's a lightweight protocol that lets your devices talk to each other by publishing and subscribing to topics - think of it as a super-efficient postal system where devices can broadcast messages and others can choose to listen in.
Learn more →Thread
Thread is a low-power mesh networking protocol that lets smart home devices talk to each other without a central hub. Think of it as the invisible web that Matter devices use to communicate - each device strengthens the network, and if one goes down, the others pick up the slack.
Learn more →Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is the default choice for smart home devices because it's already everywhere - no hub required, instant setup, and your router handles it all. The catch? It'll drain batteries in days, congest your network with dozens of devices, and isn't designed for the "always listening" low-power world of IoT.
Learn more →Z-Wave
Z-Wave is the "it just works" mesh protocol for smart homes. Every device is certified for compatibility before it hits the market, and the sub-GHz radio cuts through walls that would stop Zigbee dead. You'll pay more, but you'll troubleshoot less.
Learn more →Zigbee
Zigbee is the veteran mesh networking protocol that's been quietly running smart homes for over a decade. It connects low-power devices like sensors, bulbs, and switches through a self-healing mesh network - and unlike Wi-Fi gadgets, your Zigbee motion sensor won't need new batteries every month.
Learn more →Want more smart home knowledge?
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