In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in interconnecting traditionally isolated devices to each other and beyond via home and office networks. The miniaturization and energy efficiency of computing and sensor technology have made it possible to bring a wide range of systems online, such as security, appliances, and other environment monitoring systems, to name a few. Connecting such diverse systems to Ethernet networks via home automation modules, as is typically done, demands special consideration in order to properly manage, secure, and prioritize network communications given the inherent shortcomings of ubiquitous protocols.

In this follow-up publication, the authors further discuss how their proposed software-based management approach can provide a widely compatible and highly extendable means of addressing these challenges. The authors acknowledge the availability of numerous alternatives for network utilization and prioritization, but state that none meet their given criteria. This paper discusses the improvements of using a distributed scheme of traffic control servers to collectively monitor the traffic measuring unit and regulate the traffic shaping middleware installed on each home automation module.

While the authors don’t specifically refer to the Internet of Things (IoT), a catchall label for this kind of device connectivity, it is clear that a scheme such as the one proposed is increasingly needed to alleviate congestion and address quality of service (QoS) needs. Those involved in this field of study or application would be well served to read this and similar publications.