IR (Infrared): Requires line-of-sight; low cost
RF (2.4G): Penetrates walls; long remote control range
Bluetooth: Direct connection to mobile phones; Mesh networking
Wi-Fi: Remote control; requires a router
Zigbee: Low power consumption; self-organizing network; requires a gateway
Z-Wave: Smart home; commonly used in Europe and the US
Matter: Unified cross-ecosystem protocol (emerging)
