Is WiFi HaLow In Your Smart Home Future?
April 2, 2024
Despite WiFi 7 being the newest and fastest home WiFi option getting a lot of media attention, there are still other viable options for your smart home. One emerging wireless technology you may want to keep on your radar is called WiFi HaLow. It’s the new wireless kid on the block poised to transform the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape and your smart home capabilities.
WiFi HaLow is a wireless technology specification that is based on the IEEE 802.11ah protocol. It was first introduced in 2016 and runs on sub-1GHz frequencies, unlike the traditional WiFi 5, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and WiFi 7 protocols, which use 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequencies.
As lower WiFi frequencies can travel longer distances, WiFi HaLow can provide connectivity up to a kilometer and even more in the case of a line-of-sight connection and better penetration through walls and other obstacles. However, the use of a lower frequency also means it has narrower channels and a lower bandwidth. In the case of WiFI Halow, sub 1GHz, resulting in slower data rates. Still, it can deliver data speeds from 150Kbps over longer distances and up to 86.7Mbps over shorter distances. It also offers several device power saving modes, has native IP support, the latest WiFi security, supports coin cell battery devices for months (or longer) and doesn’t require proprietary hubs or gateways.
It’s not a replacement for the traditional WiFi standards. Instead, it’s designed to complement the existing WiFi protocols and offer connectivity to devices over a longer distance without needing wireless extenders, multiple access points, and complex wired connections. Think of it in smart home terms of simplifying the deployment of sensors, cameras or other IoT devices to a secure pool yard, work shop or ‘She’ shed. One immediate application that comes to mind for me is the entry gate where my parents live. It’s a fairly rural part of Texas and they get frequent deliveries from Amazon which usually get left at the gate. So being informed when packages are delivered would be convenient rather than waiting on a text or email message.
In the US, WiFi HaLow operates on the 900Hz frequency that is part of the license-exempt spectrum, making it free to use for everyone. However, depending on which sub-gigahertz frequencies are available worldwide, WiFi HaLow may operate on different frequencies in other countries.
Traditional WiFi protocols have seen the most advancement in wireless speeds and latency. But signal range has suffered in this rush for higher speeds. WiFi HaLow is an attempt to fix this issue in WiFi’s suite of capabilities, particularly in a world where IoT devices are growing exponentially and need a reliable way to remain connected with each other and the internet.
So, WiFi HaLow provides a much better transmission range than conventional WiFi. But most importantly, its use of a lower frequency means it’s better at penetrating barriers, such as walls, similar to how 2.4GHz WiFi offers a better signal range and wall penetration than 5GHz and 6GHz WiFi bands.
HaLow also consumes much less power, as it can stay in a significantly lower power state thanks to various sleep modes defined in the 802.11ah specification. So, it can cater to battery-powered devices, such as sensors, wireless security cameras, and other devices, and help them run for months and even years without needing a battery replacement or charging.
Another advantage of WiFi HaLow is a single WiFi HaLow access point can connect with over 8,000 devices simultaneously, compared to 2007 devices for WiFi 6, making it ideal for IoT devices, large expanses requiring connectivity and mesh networking systems.
WiFi HaLow completes hybrid WiFi connectivity by essentially adding a slow lane for IoT devices that is reliable, secure and seamless. This way, existing WiFi connectivity remains undisturbed, and moving IoT devices from existing bands to the slower ones also clears bandwidth for other devices.
WiFi HaLow isn’t the first wireless technology to offer connectivity to IoT devices. Other wireless technologies like Zigbee, which I wrote about recently, Z-Wave, another recent post and Thread, already exist. But each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Zigbee operates on the 780MHz, 868Hz, 915MHz, and 2.4GHz frequencies. However, most home-use Zigbee devices utilize the 2.4GHz band. So, it has a faster data transfer rate than Z-Wave but a limited range. It’s interoperability suffers a bit, isn’t as secure as WiFi, and needs a “coordinator” device to control the network. But it can support over 65,000 nodes in a single network, much higher than Z-Wave and even WiFi HaLow.
Z-Wave is similar to WiFi HaLow in several aspects. It also uses sub-1GHz frequencies and, as a result, has a longer range and low power consumption. But despite having a long transmission range, it can’t match HaLow’s reach. A single Z-Wave network also can’t support more than 232 devices. Plus, you need a controller to operate Z-Wave devices effectively.
Notably, Z-Wave Alliance introduced a new Z-Wave Long Range version in 2020, which brings the signal range to WiFi HaLow’s level and increases the number of supported devices in a Z-Wave network to 4,000.
Thread is one of the newer low-power wireless protocols. It also uses the 2.4GHz frequency to connect and communicate with other Thread devices. Thread devices are IP-based and can connect to each other without a hub or bridge. But they still need a Thread border router to connect the Thread network to the internet. Thread networks are also limited to about 250 devices and are not ideal for relatively high-bandwidth devices, such as security cameras.
So, while each of these special low-powered wireless protocols does many things right, each has its drawbacks. In comparison, WiFi HaLow has an impressive signal range, doesn’t need a hub, has excellent security, can connect to over 8,000 devices, and has reasonable data transmission speeds. Plus, you get seamless interoperability, and by using a different band than existing WiFi networks, HaLow doesn’t clog the existing infrastructure.
WiFi HaLow has the potential to benefit a variety of use cases, but regular home users will see the most impact in smart home devices, IoT, and mesh networking systems. With more household device turning smart every day and needing wireless access for connectivity, the 2.4GHz wireless band is seeing the most congestion, as it only has three non-overlapping channels.
But WiFi HaLow operates on a completely different frequency than conventional WiFi and can have more than 26 non-overlapping channels. As a result, the chances of interference and congestion are almost negligible unless you have thousands of devices vying for connectivity — which, even in the most advanced smart homes, would be difficult if not impossible.
Moreover, its extended range allows it to serve IoT and smart home devices from a single access point over massive properties. So, for example, you can have a single router or a mesh system covering your primary residence to serve high-bandwidth devices. But with WiFi HaLow also thrown into the mix, the same router or mesh system can also cover sensors, security cameras, and other relatively low-bandwidth devices on the property perimeter, oubuildinmgs, guest houses, and other portions of the property. This removes the need to wire the entire property or install additional mesh nodes or WiFi extenders to offer extended signal coverage.
Like any new WiFi generation, you’ll need both the wireless router and the device to support WiFi HaLow to get its benefits. Unfortunately, the uptake of WiFi HaLow has been slow, but as interest grows, we should see more devices with this WiFi spec going forward. Some manufacturers have released WiFi extenders that incorporate HaLow to extend the range of a wireless network to hundreds of meters. Unfortunately, your existing wireless router or device won’t be able to enjoy HaLow benefits via a firmware upgrade as it requires new hardware. This is similar to how WiFi 6E routers or client devices can’t get WiFi 7 access with a software update.
Abode introduced a new security camera called Edge at CES 2024, which uses WiFi HaLow and was expected to be on sale in Q1 this year for $199. Morse Micro and Chicony have also partnered to launch a WiFi HaLow IoT Security Camera.
Obviously, WiFi Halow is not for every smart home. But for expanded use cases both inside and outside surrounding your smart home at a distance WiFi Halow is an ideal solution. The great thing is that a platform like this exists for special use cases like large property, rural or density. This opens up opportunities for Debbie and I with our new home build to be able to incorporate IoT devices like cameras and sensors — especially in our backyard, to monitor weather, moisture, or motion, without having to run Ethernet cabling, fiber and power. Which will save us a significant amount of money and eliminate a lot of maintenance for me.
Let Debbie and I know what you think in the comments, DMs and emails as we really enjoy hearing from you. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
