Wi-Fi
Last updated: January 2, 2026
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.
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Wi-Fi's appeal is obvious: you already have it. Plug in a smart plug, connect to your network, done. No coordinator, no bridge, no new protocol to learn. For mains-powered devices like smart plugs, cameras, and displays, this simplicity is genuinely hard to beat. The technology has been refined since 1997, troubleshooting tools exist, and when something goes wrong you can actually diagnose it - ping the device, check your router logs, verify the IP. Try that with a misbehaving Thread device.
But Wi-Fi was built for bandwidth, not battery life. Those protocols that make streaming video smooth will murder a door sensor's coin cell in days. And as smart homes grow, the 2.4 GHz band gets crowded - your fifty IoT devices are competing with your neighbor's Wi-Fi, your microwave, and every Bluetooth gadget in range. Response times lag, devices drop offline, and suddenly your "smart" home feels pretty dumb. The 5 GHz band is less congested but doesn't penetrate walls as well, which is why most IoT devices stick to 2.4 GHz and its problems.
The practical advice: Use Wi-Fi for mains-powered devices where battery life doesn't matter - cameras, smart displays, plugs, and TVs. For sensors, locks, and anything battery-powered, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Thread will serve you far better. And invest in a decent router - cheap networking gear is the silent killer of smart home reliability.
Related Terms
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.
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.
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.
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.