Knowledge base
IoT
IoT platforms do not have to run in a vendor cloud and do not have to be billed per device. We build and run sovereign, self-hosted IoT stacks on open-source foundations - ThingsBoard, ChirpStack, LoRaWAN, MQTT, Node-RED and Grafana - on your own infrastructure (Proxmox, Hetzner, on-prem). Here we explain the fundamentals, the real costs instead of per-device licences, and the setup step by step.
Basics
What is LoRaWAN?
LoRaWAN is an open LPWAN radio standard for IoT: long range, years of battery life, AES encryption. Architecture, device classes and EU868 explained.What is MQTT?
MQTT is the lightweight publish/subscribe protocol for IoT: brokers, topics, QoS levels, MQTT 5.0 and TLS security, explained clearly by WZ-IT.What is ThingsBoard?
ThingsBoard is an IoT platform for device management, telemetry, rule engine and dashboards. Architecture, protocols and the license since 4.4 (BUSL) explained.What is ChirpStack?
ChirpStack is an open-source LoRaWAN Network Server under the MIT license. We explain its components, supported gateways and self-hosted operation, no lock-in.IoT architecture in layers
IoT architecture explained layer by layer: from sensors over LoRaWAN/MQTT, gateway and ThingsBoard to InfluxDB and Grafana - fully self-hosted and open source.LoRaWAN vs NB-IoT vs WLAN/5G
LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M or 5G for IoT? Compare range, battery life, data rate, cost and who owns the network - plus the self-hosted LoRaWAN angle.Cost & pricing
ThingsBoard pricing & editions
ThingsBoard pricing as of October 2026: 4.4 under BUSL free up to 100 devices, commercial license from $99/month, Cloud per device, CE 4.3 until 2027.How much does ChirpStack cost?
How much does ChirpStack cost? It is open source and free (MIT). The real costs: servers, gateways, operations and maintenance - honest LoRaWAN TCO inside.ThingsBoard vs ChirpStack
ThingsBoard vs ChirpStack: they do not compete. ChirpStack is the LoRaWAN Network Server, ThingsBoard the IoT platform. Here is how they complement each other.IoT platform: self-hosted vs cloud
Self-hosted IoT vs. cloud: data sovereignty, GDPR, real costs and lock-in compared. ThingsBoard/ChirpStack vs. AWS IoT, Azure IoT, Cumulocity.Open-source IoT platforms compared
ThingsBoard vs Node-RED vs EdgeX Foundry vs Eclipse Ditto vs OpenRemote: purpose, device management, dashboards, rules, licensing and self-hosting compared.ThingsBoard vs AWS IoT Core & Azure IoT Hub
ThingsBoard vs AWS IoT Core and Azure IoT Hub 2026: features, current pricing with a worked example, GDPR and lock-in - self-hosted or hyperscaler?Guides
Install ThingsBoard with Docker
Install ThingsBoard CE with Docker: step-by-step docker-compose guide with PostgreSQL, ports, first login, demo account, device and dashboard.Set up ChirpStack & a LoRaWAN gateway
Install ChirpStack with Docker, register a LoRaWAN gateway, add an OTAA device and read sensor data via MQTT. Self-hosted step-by-step guide.Grafana IoT dashboard with InfluxDB
Self-hosted Grafana IoT dashboard with InfluxDB: install InfluxDB, ingest IoT data via MQTT/Telegraf or ThingsBoard, add the data source, panels and alerts.ThingsBoard Rule Engine: alarms & notifications
ThingsBoard Rule Engine setup: threshold alarms, severity and notifications via email, Slack and webhook - with an example rule chain and test.Milesight sensor in ChirpStack: payload decoder
Decode a Milesight LoRaWAN sensor in ChirpStack: grab the official JavaScript decoder from GitHub and add it to the device profile as a payload codec.Node-RED MQTT dashboard for sensor data
Node-RED MQTT dashboard step by step: install Node-RED 5 with Docker, set up Dashboard 2.0, parse a JSON payload and show live sensor data as a gauge and chart.Applications
Predictive maintenance & retrofit
Retrofit legacy machines without a modern interface using sensors, an edge gateway and OPC-UA/Modbus, then analyse it in ThingsBoard and Grafana - self-hosted.Building IoT / smart building with LoRaWAN
Smart building IoT with LoRaWAN: monitor occupancy, CO2, energy and leaks with one gateway per building - self-hosted on ChirpStack, ThingsBoard, Grafana.From one team
WZ-IT builds and runs IoT in production for companies - design, build and operations from one team.
Free intro call
Let's talk about your project - no obligation
- Straight with Timo and Robin - no sales team, no pitch
- A professional assessment of your situation
- Concrete next steps for infrastructure, software or AI
The conversation is free and non-binding.
WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.
Jakob ÖschlbergerInno7 GmbH
Let's Talk About Your Idea
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.