Abstract

The exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments in 2018 posed significant challenges for traditional IP-based networks. These challenges include bandwidth congestion, increased end-to-end latency, and fragmented communication protocols. This research investigates scalable network architectures—particularly fog computing, mesh topologies, and edge-centric models—as solutions for optimizing IoT network performance. It explores the impact of constrained devices on network behavior and proposes a layered framework that incorporates lightweight protocols such as MQTT, CoAP, and ZigBee. Using simulation and case studies, the study evaluates how localized processing, adaptive routing, and protocol translation at the edge can improve reliability and reduce cloud dependency. The findings offer a cost-effective and secure architectural blueprint for large-scale IoT deployments