Part 3 – Internet routing and protocols

To bridge data from sensors to the internet, two technologies are needed: gateway routers and supporting IP-based protocols designed for efficiency. This section explores the role of router technologies at the edge for bridging sensors on a PAN network to the internet. The role of the router is especially important in securing, managing, and steering data. Edge routers orchestrate and monitor underlying mesh networks and balance and level data quality. The privatization and security of data is also critical. The chapter will explore the router role in creating virtual private networks, virtual LANs, and software-defined wide-area networks. There literally may be thousands of nodes serviced by a single edge router, and in a sense, it serves as an extension to the cloud, as we will see in the Chapter 10, Cloud and Fog Topologies.

The section continues with the protocols used in IoT communication between nodes, routers, and clouds. The IoT has given way to new protocols rather than the legacy HTTP and SNMP type of messaging used for decades. IoT data needs efficient, power-aware, and low-latency protocols that can be easily steered and secured in and out of the cloud. This chapter explores protocols such as the pervasive MQTT, as well as AMPQ and CoAP. Examples are given to illustrate their use and efficiency.