2.1.3 Connecting devices
For the IoE to function, all of the devices that are part of the intended IoE solution must be connected together so that they can communicate. There are two ways to connect devices: wired or wirelessly.
In most cases, connecting devices together using cables is too costly or cumbersome to be practical. For this reason, most devices will need to send and receive data wirelessly.
There are many different types of wireless communication. The most common types of wireless communication are Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth, and near field communication (NFC). Some devices, such as smartphones and tablets use a combination of wireless communication methods to connect to different devices.
Figure 3 details how a smartphone may connect to other types of devices. Click on each of the plus signs to interact with the image.