Looking to protect your pets and keep them safe? Then you are probably considering the purchase of a pet tracker. While this is not an overly complicated process, we recognize that not everyone is a ‘techy’ minded person and one of the most critical aspects this purchase is making sure that your device has the right kind of signal and network to keep your pet safe.
We continue to stress, do NOT buy just based on price as most likely you will be getting either inferior technology or a VERY limited ability to find your pet. You may find it surprising that some “GPS trackers” don’t actually use GPS and rely on other technology.
Let’s jump into the tracker network options so you can get a good handle the most important part of the pet tracker. We will explain the four most common location technologies (RFID, Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi), including how they work, along with some simple pros and cons.
Radio Frequency ID (RFID)
Technology breakdown:
Radio frequency identification (RFID) pet trackers utilize a “signal and find” methodology (think about the game Marco Polo at the pool). RFID trackers need two parts: a signaler and a tag. The signaler’s job is to send out signals looking for tags that are on a specific frequency. A ‘tag’ literally does nothing until it hears this signal and then sends out a response. The frequencies used are in the radio frequency range, hence the name RFID. The tag will send back a unique identification number stored in the device chip. If the identifier (tag) is the right one an ongoing communication will occur. This communication will allow distance (based on response time) and direction (based on signal strength) – almost identical to the Marco Polo game. Thus by holding the signaler/receiver device, the owner can find the pet using this hot/cold method.
Pros:
- Tags tend to be small (less than 1-inch square)
- Long battery life (months-to-years)
- Accurate (less than 1 foot)
Cons:
- Short range (less than 100m/300ft)
- Dedicated reader frequency (lose the reader, lose any ability to find tag)
- Needs relatively open visibility, else range drops dramatically
Bluetooth
Technology breakdown:
Bluetooth technology actually works in a very similar way to the RFID in the sense that there is a device (for example a laptop or smartphone) and a ‘paired’ hardware (for example headphones or speakers). This pairing is much like the reader and tag in RFID tracker, but it uses secret codes for security and doesn’t rely on a single frequency. One valuable difference from RFID is that Bluetooth pet tracker communication is a two-way process. Importantly, this means that communication can be initiated either at the device or tag. You can use the device like an RFID signal box to find the tag or you can use the tag to release a signal on the device, perhaps calling the phone to find it by ring tone.
The ability to have multiple ‘tags’ paired by Bluetooth gives it a distinct advantage over RFID, which only allows one device-tag pair. You can find your device with any paired tag, which you can’t do with RFID.
Pros:
- Two-way communication (tag can find device)
- Multiple tag connections (multiple ways to find device)
- Good battery life (months)
Cons:
- Average-larger size of tag (typically 1-2 inches square)
- Very short range (less than 30m/100ft)
- Constant device-tag communication drains device battery quickly
- Potential device security risk (recent hack)
GPS
Technology breakdown:
We’ve all used a Global Positioning System (GPS), even if it is just to find our way somewhere on Google maps, but how does it actually work? Here, the GPS pet tracker actually communicates with multiple satellites to triangulate its position and then reports this location through a cell back to a database or application which allows tracking of the pet tracker. Triangulation is very different from the send-receive method seen with RFID and Bluetooth. The location database is then accessed directly by a device or computer to monitor tracking data.
Pros:
- Unlimited range (potentially can find the device anywhere in the world)
- Real-time update and tracking allows seeing where the device was ‘last’
- No reliance on a second device that could break or lose power
- Moderate-good accuracy (5-10m/15-30ft)
Cons:
- Moderate-large tag size (1-2 inches square)
- Short-average battery life (days-to-weeks)
- Needs a relatively unobstructed view of the sky
Wi-Fi
Technology breakdown:
Wi-Fi tracking is basically a smaller scale version of GPS tracking. Here the device uses Wi-Fi hotspots for triangulation rather than the satellites used in GPS. A Wi-Fi tracker determines approximate distance from multiple hotspots based on signal strength and uses this to determine an accurate location for the pet tracker. In addition, the Wi-Fi hotspots typically have a physical location associated with their internal electronics (MAC address/IP address), giving a very accurate location ability.
Pros:
- Unlimited range (using any hotspot in the world)
- Real-time update and tracking allows seeing where the device was ‘last’
- No reliance on a second device that could break or lose power
- Minimal weather limitation
- No need for an unobstructed view of the sky
- Very accurate (<5m/15ft)
Cons:
- Moderate-large tag size (1-2 inches square)
- Short-average battery life (days-to-weeks)
- Limited use in rural areas (no hotspots!)
Decisions, decisions…
The short and sweet version? For tracking pets in your house or small enclosed yard go with RFID/Bluetooth tracker. If your pet tends to roam the neighborhood or escape further afield then we would strongly recommend a GPS or a GPS/Wi-Fi combination tracker to the unlimited reach and to balance the strengths and weaknesses of these tracker types. I would definitely recommend GPS trackers to anyone living in rural areas as the range and lack of hotspots really diminishes the usefulness of the other technologies.
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