In the ever-evolving landscape of smart home technology, Amazon Sidewalk is one type of home automation not many savvy homeowners know about but it comes up during conversations. This Amazon innovation, which emerged in June 2021, has helped smart home devices connect and communicate in and around the home in a very unique and effective way. It represents a shared network designed to extend the range of low-bandwidth, long-distance smart home connections beyond the confines of traditional Wi-Fi networks. It sounds simple, but what exactly is Amazon Sidewalk, and how does it work? Our comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of Amazon Sidewalk, exploring its functionality, benefits, potential drawbacks, and the array of compatible devices to help you know how it works and why it might be suitable for your smart home.

Understanding Amazon Sidewalk - What You Need To Know

At its core, Amazon Sidewalk is a novel wireless protocol developed by Amazon that aims to enhance the connectivity of smart home devices by leveraging a portion of users' internet bandwidth. Unlike traditional Wi-Fi networks with limited range and may experience interference, Amazon Sidewalk utilizes a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the 900 MHz spectrum, and other proprietary technologies to create a shared network known as the Sidewalk Bridge.

How Does Amazon Sidewalk Work

Amazon Sidewalk pools a small fraction of the internet bandwidth from participating users' Amazon Echo devices, Ring cameras, and other compatible devices to create a mesh network. This network extends the connectivity range of Sidewalk-enabled devices, allowing them to communicate with each other and access the internet even when they are located beyond the reach of a traditional Wi-Fi network.

The Sidewalk Bridge is a central hub within the network, relaying data between compatible devices and the user's home Wi-Fi network. By leveraging multiple bridges distributed across a neighborhood, Amazon Sidewalk creates a robust and resilient network infrastructure that enhances the reliability and range of connected devices.

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Benefits of Amazon Sidewalk

What are the benefits of using Amazon Sidewalk? Here are five good features you get with Amazon Sidewalk:

1. Extended Range: Amazon Sidewalk extends the range of smart home devices, enabling seamless connectivity even in areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage or beyond the confines of the home.
2. Improved Reliability: By creating a shared network infrastructure, Amazon Sidewalk enhances the reliability of connected devices by providing redundant communication paths and mitigating interference issues.
3. Community Connectivity: Sidewalk fosters a sense of community connectivity by allowing neighbors to share their internet bandwidth and collectively contribute to the expansion of the network.
4. Accessibility: Sidewalk-enabled devices can access essential features and functionalities, such as firmware updates and remote management, even when they are located outside the home's Wi-Fi coverage area.
5. Enhanced Device Compatibility: Amazon Sidewalk enables seamless integration and interoperability between a wide range of smart home devices, including security cameras, motion sensors, and smart locks.

Drawbacks and Concerns

As with all promising innovations, there are things that users might have issues with or a problem with new technology. Here are some of the significant concerns you need to be aware of with Amazon Sidewalk:

1. Privacy and Security: Some users have expressed concerns about potential privacy and security risks associated with sharing some of their internet bandwidth and data with neighbors.
2. Bandwidth Consumption: Participating in Amazon Sidewalk may result in increased bandwidth consumption, which could impact the user's home internet connection performance.
3. Regulatory Compliance: Amazon Sidewalk operates in the 900 MHz spectrum, which is subject to regulatory restrictions and may require compliance with local laws and regulations.

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Compatible Amazon and Ring Devices

One feature you need to know about Amazon Sidewalk-compatible devices is that only devices authorized by Amazon to use Sidewalk's low-bandwidth connections are allowed to connect to Amazon Sidewalk. And they need to communicate with Sidewalk Bridges to access Amazon Sidewalk. Who makes Sidewalk Bridges? Only popular Amazon and Ring products act as bridges to support Sidewalk's growing ecosystem of compatible devices. As of today, here are the Amazon Echo and Ring devices that serve as Sidewalk Bridges:

Amazon Sidewalk Bridge

  

Amazon

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As for Sidewalk compatible devices, one company, Level Home, uses Amazon Sidewalk to allow Level Touch smart lock to communicate with Ring Video Doorbells. This allows users remote access to their smart lock via the Ring app when outside Bluetooth range.

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Summary

Amazon Sidewalk represents a bold step forward in smart home connectivity, offering an innovative solution to extend the range and reliability of connected devices. While it holds immense potential to enhance the smart home experience, users must carefully consider the privacy, security, and regulatory implications before participating. By understanding the functionality, benefits, and potential drawbacks of Amazon Sidewalk, users can make informed decisions about integrating this groundbreaking technology into their smart home ecosystem.

Check out The GearBrain, our smart home compatibility find engine. It can help you find, buy, and connect any smart device. It can even help you find other smart devices or systems compatible with your existing smart devices, such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

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