Key characteristics of ZigBee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
| ZigBee | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth |
Range | 10-100 meters | 50-100 meters | 10 – 100 meters |
Networking Topology | Ad-hoc, peer to peer, star, or mesh | Point to hub | Ad-hoc, very small networks |
Operating Frequency | 868 MHz (Europe) 900-928 MHz (NA), 2.4 GHz (worldwide) | 2.4 and 5 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
Complexity (Device and application impact) | Low | High | High |
Power Consumption (Battery option and life) | Very low (low power is a design goal) | High | Medium |
Security | 128 AES plus application layer security | | 64 and 128 bit encryption |
Typical Applications | Industrial control and monitoring, sensor networks, building automation, home control and automation, toys, games | Wireless LAN connectivity, broadband Internet access | Wireless connectivity between devices such as phones, PDA, laptops, headsets |