Adapting TCP/IP for IoT: Challenges, Solutions, and the Role of Information-Centric Network Architecture

Abstract

The "Internet of Things" (IoT), which involves networking a potentially large number of resource-constrained devices, has garnered increasing attention in recent years. Presently, IoT systems predominantly rely on TCP/IP protocols, with a specific emphasis on IPv6. However, empirical evidence suggests that the original design of the TCP/IP protocol stack is not well-suited for the IoT environment. In response, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has dedicated considerable effort to adapting the protocol stack to align with IoT deployment scenarios. These endeavours have led to augmentations of existing protocols within the TCP/IP suite and the creation of several novel protocols. Despite these modifications, persistent challenges continue to emerge. This paper conducts an analysis of the technical challenges associated with applying the TCP/IP protocol to the IoT environment. Additionally, it provides an overview of diverse solutions proposed by the IETF. The contention put forth is that existing IP-based solutions exhibit either inefficiency or inadequacy in supporting IoT applications. As a proposed alternative, we advocate for the adoption of the Information-Centric Network architecture as a more effective solution to address the complexities of IoT networking.