Comparative analysis of BLE SIG mesh and Wirepas mesh for Ad Hoc IoT deployments: Features, security, efficiency and application suitability

Abstract

The rapid increase in the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has led to the development of advanced networking technologies such as bluetooth low energy (BLE) standardized by special interest group (SIG) mesh and Wirepas mesh networks. Each of these technologies offers unique features and capabilities. BLE is a widely used short-range technology that has made a significant impact on the IoT paradigm development thanks to its simplicity, low power consumption, robustness, and low cost. In contrast, Wirepas mesh is a decentralized wireless communication protocol, meaning that each node in the network selects its own role while maintaining and optimizing the connection automatically based on its environment. This paper provides a comparative analysis of BLE SIG mesh and Wirepas mesh, focusing on their security, scalability, power, and memory efficiency, as well as application suitability in diverse ad hoc IoT environments. The study highlights that while BLE SIG mesh benefits from easy adoption, low power consumption, and ease of integration into the consumer IoT ecosystem, Wirepas mesh excels in high-density, large-scale industrial applications due to its robust management and decentralized control. Security is realized in BLE SIG mesh with standard authentication and encryption, whereas Wirepas mesh utilizes deployment-configurable security mechanisms to handle diverse network topologies. This comparative review enables IoT industrialists and researchers to select appropriate mesh technologies based on their specific requirements and deployment constraints.