@Blort I'll probably add this to my LoRa article...

LoRa = The network protocol. Just like WiFi is a network protocol.

LoRaWAN = A managed LoRa network. It's like going to a Starbucks and connecting to their WiFi.

The Things Network = A free LoRaWAN network that's run by volunteers around the world. People actually set up base stations and allow free access.

Hope this makes sense? 🙂

@lupyuen
It does, thanks... and the benefit of using it over the more established wifi protocol/ networks is...?

@Blort LoRa / LoRaWAN is more suitable for battery-powered sensors on the streets and in the wild. (Because of its low power and long range)

Here's a good use case: Sensors for our garden...

https://lupyuen.github.io/articles/lora

@lupyuen
Ok, that is cool. Thanks for explaining it to me. Does it still run in a similar frequency range to wifi, ie 2.4-5.6ghz? I'm just thinking about if using it could also reduce interference with wifi devices...

@Blort Depends on the region... #LoRa runs at 868 MHz in Europe, 923 MHz in Singapore.

Because it's running at a lower frequency than 2.4 GHz WiFi, the signals go farther.

But LoRa is a simple packet based protocol, it's not meant for chatty networks like WiFi.

More about this...

https://lupyuen.github.io/articles/lora#visualise-lora-with-software-defined-radio