8 IoT Issues and Ways to Solve Them [WebbyLab Team’s Real-Life Experience]

There are many IoT challenges and issues you might face when working on your project. Picture this: an industrial factory uses numerous sensors to monitor critical equipment. Suddenly, a power outage hits, covering the facility in darkness. The internet connection drops and the factory loses valuable real-time IIoT data. This scenario is just one of many.

Over five years of developing IoT solutions, we’ve encountered our fair share of IoT implementation challenges. What seemed like invincible obstacles at each stage of IoT development now feels like a breeze — experience truly is the best teacher.

Understanding internet of things issues and solutions is crucial for businesses to ensure the reliable functioning of interconnected devices, especially when scaling IoT networks. In this article, we’ll try to figure out what are the challenges of IoT and share 8 IoT product development challenges and solutions from our own background. 

From maintaining functionality during connectivity issues in Propuskator ACS and dealing with limited battery power in a smart A/C drain line cleaner to IoT data challenges in MyBox — we’ll cover everything you need to know in detail.

Key IoT challenges Webbylab team has solved:

• Offline functionality and battery life: Using the ESP32 S2 module with Deep Sleep mode, we extended the IoT device battery life to over a year, maintaining offline features for critical operations.
• Effective management: We used mDNS protocol and responsive web-based admin panels to ensure seamless local and remote device management.
• Data communication: By implementing a secure MQTT-based communication bus with encryption and ACLs, we ensured reliable data transmission.

2Smart Cloud mobile app developed by WebbyLab

IoT Challenges and Solutions

Let’s get straight to the point and examine the IoT product development challenges and solutions from our experience. Although these were our specific issues, you’ll surely find them relevant to your own project.

Kostiantyn Oliynyk

Head of IoT at Webbylab

Helped dozens of startups create effective IOT products.

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1. Offline Mode for IoT Devices with Functionality Preservation

Project

Propuskator Cloud ACS, Smart Automated A/C Drain Line Cleaner.

Objective

We aimed to ensure IoT devices function properly even without an Internet connection.

Problem

Sometimes, IoT devices lose their Internet connection due to power outages or connectivity issues. Despite these interruptions, devices must maintain functionality and keep critical IoT data.

We faced these IoT challenges while developing a controller for the Propuskator access control system and a smart dispenser for cleaning air conditioning drain lines, highlighting the importance of specialized IoT development services.

Solution

Although the lack of Internet access limits remote control options, we implement offline modes of operation for continued device use. For simpler devices like relays and LED lamps, offline mode is pretty straightforward and allows full functionality through physical controls such as buttons and remotes.

For more complex devices, like the ACS controller and the drain line cleaner, maintaining core functions comes with certain complications. Both devices need to make decisions — granting access or performing a cleaning action — and report these actions to the cloud. Since decision-making and reporting are key business functionalities of these devices, we had to ensure their smooth operation even without an Internet connection.

To achieve this, we developed the following mechanism for the devices:

• When connected to the Internet, they receive the necessary information from the cloud and store it locally for independent decision-making.
• Reports are also saved on the devices themselves. Even if the Internet goes out, they are stored safely until they can be uploaded to the cloud later.

This task required careful memory management to balance rewriting flash memory and preserving events, ensuring data integrity and efficient storage.

As a result, we delivered devices that, after initial configuration, can operate offline for extended periods, saving the entire history of events. Upon reconnection, they report all actions with accurate timestamps to the cloud, making sure no data is lost.

A Propuskator controller with offline mode support developed by Webbylab

2. IoT Devices with Limited Battery Power

Project

Smart Automated A/C Drain Line Cleaner.

Objective

We sought to develop an IoT device that regularly syncs with a cloud application via the Internet, operates an electric pump to drain liquid, and notifies users about floods and other events. The device had to function for at least one year on 4 AA batteries.

Problem

One of the IoT challenges we face is balancing long battery life with full functionality for standalone IoT devices.

Solution

After R&D and real-world IoT testing of various devices, we selected the ESP32 S2 module. This choice was driven by its ability to handle business logic, peripheral control, telemetry collection, and Wi-Fi connectivity for cloud communication.

Using the ESP32 S2’s features, we developed firmware based on the Espressif IDF. The key to extending battery life was employing the Deep Sleep mode, which allowed the device to maintain minimal power consumption while waiting for specific triggers to wake up.

To ensure timely wake-ups, we used the ESP32 S2’s ULP (Ultra Low Power) co-processor, which remains active with very low power consumption. This setup allows the device to wake up when scheduled times, button presses, float activations, or microswitch triggers occur. When using ULP, we needed to identify the pins that support these wake-up triggers early on to make sure all scenarios were covered.

As a result, we developed a device based on ESP32 S2 equipped with a Wi-Fi module. Powered by 4 AA batteries, it can fully operate for three years (calculated mathematically based on real consumption measurements). The device remains in sleep mode most of the time but can wake up automatically or via a trigger to start the pump, communicate with the server, or perform various other functions.

A drain line cleaner with extended battery life developed by Webbylab

3. Convenient Local Management of IoT Devices

Project

MyBox, 2Smart Cloud.

Objective

We aimed to provide users with an alternative way to manage devices without an Internet connection.

Problem

There are scenarios when neither the device nor the user’s or integrator’s phone has an Internet connection. Therefore, it’s necessary to provide basic control and monitoring capabilities locally.

The Internet of Things challenges we faced involved developing a universal mechanism for working with various devices and delivering a decent user experience.

Solution

In addition to our standard built-in admin panels for local management, we developed a specialized interface for the MyBox IoT app. This interface detects devices on the local network, even without Internet access, using the mDNS protocol. It also automatically generates a management interface based on the device configuration received upon connection.

Local management of devices in the MyBox mobile app – developed by Webbylab

4. Full-Featured Built-In Admin Panels for IoT Devices with Limited Resources

Project

Smart Automated A/C Drain Line Cleaner, MyBox, Propuskator Cloud ACS, 2Smart Cloud.

Objective

We had to provide users with a local management, configuration, and pairing tool.

Problem

One of the common IoT issues we face in our IoT projects is resource limitations on controllers, particularly those based on ESP32 modules. These devices can sometimes be tight on flash memory for storing static files.

Solution

As part of our SDK and other outsourced projects, we have built a basic admin panel along with the tools necessary to develop an IoT product. Now, we use it and its modifications across almost all our projects.

Our admin panels allow users to:

• Pair devices.
• Manage and view Wi-Fi network settings.
• Monitor parameters.
• Manage, reboot, and reset devices.
• Handle firmware analysis and updates.

Besides that, the admin panels feature a responsive layout and are comfortable on all screen sizes and platforms. They’re built with the Parcel Packer, which lets us minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. As a result, the panel takes up minimal microcontroller memory, averaging just 10–12 kB.

Managing Wi-Fi network settings in 2Smart Cloud

5. Seamless Wi-Fi Pairing of IoT Devices Through Web Applications

Project

Smart Automated A/C Drain Line Cleaner.

Objective

Our goal was to provide users with a convenient and seamless way to pair their IoT devices through web browsers.

Problem

The challenges in IoT implementation appeared as not all gadgets have Bluetooth for pairing, and many browsers block HTTP or HTTPS requests to web servers with endless certificates.

Solution

In the web version of our app, we implemented a device pairing mechanism similar to mobile pairing. Initially, the application makes requests to the device and sends all necessary data, requiring the device to have valid SSL certificates. However, SSL certificates can only be valid for a maximum of five years, creating a potential issue if the device is sold and needs to be paired again without a firmware update.

To address this, we developed the following mechanism in the web application:

• After connecting to the device’s access point, the user presses a button that opens the device’s built-in IoT monitoring dashboard.
• Here, the user selects the Wi-Fi network, and the rest of the information is transmitted via a link.
• After submitting the form, the page automatically closes, and the user returns to the app in the previous tab.

As a result, we delivered a solution that avoids the risks associated with SSL certificates. Additionally, the device’s admin panel is styled to match the application, creating a seamless user experience.

Seamless Wi-Fi pairing of IoT devices

6. Guarantee of Data Delivery and Integrity for Charging Stations via MQTT

IoT problems and solutions can vary greatly depending on the specific use case, but issues like security vulnerabilities, data overload, and inconsistent network connections can be addressed with robust encryption methods and optimized data processing tools. Below you can see problem and solutions:

Project

MyBox.

Objective

We had to develop a communication mechanism between charging stations and the cloud that guarantees the delivery and integrity of critical data via MQTT.

Problem

One of the key IoT challenges we faced was ensuring reliable data transmission. Charging stations communicate with the cloud exclusively through MQTT, publishing all information to a broker.

However, the default MQTT setup doesn’t guarantee that the backend correctly receives and processes the data. This posed unacceptable risks of losing messages, especially considering these records are essential for billing based on charging sessions.

Solution

As developers of products built around MQTT, we created a specialized yet universal bus system that ensures secure and reliable communication. The key features of our solution include:

• Public keys. Each device sends requests to a specific API with a payload, transaction identifier, and a public key. The response is signed with this public key in a dedicated topic. Upon receipt, the backend sends a response signed with a public key. 
• Encrypted communication. The bus is public, so encryption prevents unauthorized access to the messages.
• Access control lists (ACLs). Separate ACLs are used for topics where devices send requests and receive responses. Only the backend service can subscribe to the topics receiving the requests, ensuring that the key cannot be intercepted.

Our efforts resulted in a secure bus within the MQTT framework, which guarantees the delivery and integrity of all data. It also provides confirmation from the backend and is flexible enough to be used for various applications and tasks.

7. Synchronization of Home Lamps

Project

Intellect Led Lamps.

Objective

We aimed to allow smart LED lamp users to synchronize multiple devices so that controlling one lamp through an app or a physical control button changes its state (on/off, color, brightness, mode, intensity, etc.) and simultaneously updates all other synchronized lamps.

Problem

In terms of desired behavior, it was necessary to let the user group lamps for synchronized control without affecting all lamps at once. Other development challenges in IoT involved implementing robust protection measures to prevent unauthorized access from third-party devices with malicious firmware.

Solution

We developed a dedicated bus at the firmware level for devices communicating with the cloud through MQTT. This bus, with restricted access, allows each device to send information necessary for synchronization. This solution not only addresses the functional requirement but also provides real-time synchronization using MQTT.

On top of that, the bus does more than just connect identical devices. It syncs a wider range of similar gadgets, including LED strips, bulbs, floor lamps, table lamps, and garlands. Thanks to MQTT in cloud computing, the system can synchronize devices even if they’re not on the same network. For added flexibility, the bus also lets users create synchronization groups, allowing logically separate smart home devices.

Device synchronization feature for Intellect Led Lamps

8. Effective Synchronization of Information Between the Controller and the Server

Project

Propuskator Cloud ACS.

Objective

We sought to ensure a quick and seamless process of updating the access rules for residents on all controllers without blocking the system.

Problem

Our Propuskator access control system allows personalized access rules for each resident and various entry methods for a given access point. In a busy residential complex, the volume of such rules can be substantial and frequently updated. Blocking access points during the update process is inconvenient. Additionally, frequent overwriting of information on the controller’s flash memory (ESP32 in this case) reduces its lifespan and operational time.

Solution

To tackle development challenges in IoT, we designed an efficient and fast rule update mechanism for the Propuskator ACS and controllers using our proprietary firmware. Key elements of our solution include:

• Proprietary rule formation protocol. We created a protocol to compress rules into the smallest possible format, increasing the number of rules stored in memory.
• Data packaging mechanism. Both the backend and firmware sides feature a mechanism to package data in this minimized format. The firmware unpacks the data to determine access permissions.
• State rule synchronization. A specialized mechanism on the backend synchronizes state rules on each controller and backend. With each update, the device receives only the new or updated rules, including those that were deleted, instead of syncing everything.

As a result, we delivered a solution that lets thousands of controllers:

• Get up-to-date access rules instantly.
• Sync with the cloud without blocking user access.
• Maintain low flash memory usage.
• Operate on the reduced size of transmitted data.

Propuskator mobile app – developed by Webbylab

WebbyLab’s Experience

Handling IoT app development for over half a decade, WebbyLab has overcome numerous IoT risks and challenges. Just eight of those were described above. Let’s quickly recap what our company can do. We cover:

• Offline mode development for IoT devices.
• Battery life extension for standalone devices.
• Local management of devices.
• Admin panel development for resource-constrained devices.
• Wi-Fi device pairing implementation.
• Reliable data transmission and processing.
• Seamless device synchronization and integration.
• Data synchronization between devices and servers.

But that’s not all. Our professional team has various other IoT device development challenges and solutions to discuss. We streamline IoT-based MVP development, help with IoT analytics, and tackle design challenges. Check out our expertise in dealing with these IoT issues in our portfolio.

Conclusion

Building an IoT product is a promising venture, yet it comes with certain challenges and issues.. Don’t forget that solutions for IoT implementation must include reliable network infrastructure and real-time problem-solving capabilities to ensure seamless device communication in diverse environments. As we’ve discussed in this article, various obstacles can arise — think connectivity issues, limited battery life, or device synchronization problems.

Alexey Krol

Chief Business Development Officer

Consulted 30+ IoT startups to speed up time to market.

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The good news is that we’ve already been there and tackled various IoT implementation challenges successfully. And if you’re currently struggling with IoT development problems, WebbyLab can take responsibility for helping you with them. Just reach out to us for further consultation.