Connect to AWS IoT Core

AWS IoT Core supports connections with IoT devices, wireless gateways, services, and apps. Devices connect to AWS IoT Core so they can send data to and receive data from AWS IoT services and other devices. Apps and other services also connect to AWS IoT Core to control and manage the IoT devices and process the data from your IoT solution. This section describes how to choose the best way to connect and communicate with AWS IoT Core for each aspect of your IoT solution.

There are several ways to interact with AWS IoT. Apps and services can use the AWS IoT Core - control plane endpoints and devices can connect to AWS IoT Core by using the AWS IoT device endpoints or AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN Regions and endpoints.

AWS IoT Core - control plane endpoints

The AWS IoT Core - control plane endpoints provide access to functions that control and manage your AWS IoT solution.

• Endpoints

  The AWS IoT Core - control plane and AWS IoT Core Device Advisor control plane endpoints are Region specific and are listed in AWS IoT Core Endpoints and Quotas. The formats of the endpoints are as follows.

  Endpoint purpose	Endpoint format	Serves
  AWS IoT Core - control plane	iot.aws-region.amazonaws.com	AWS IoT Control Plane API
  AWS IoT Core Device Advisor - control plane	api.iotdeviceadvisor.aws-region.amazonaws.com	AWS IoT Core Device Advisor Control Plane API

• SDKs and tools

  The AWS SDKs provide language-specific support for the AWS IoT Core APIs, and the APIs of other AWS services. The AWS Mobile SDKs provide app developers with platform-specific support for the AWS IoT Core API, and other AWS services on mobile devices.

  The AWS CLI provides command-line access to the functions provided by the AWS IoT service endpoints. AWS Tools for PowerShell provides tools to manage AWS services and resources in the PowerShell scripting environment.

• Authentication

  The service endpoints use IAM users and AWS credentials to authenticate users.

• Learn more

  For more information and links to SDK references, see Connect to AWS IoT Core service endpoints.

AWS IoT device endpoints

The AWS IoT device endpoints support communication between your IoT devices and AWS IoT.

• Endpoints

  The device endpoints support AWS IoT Core and AWS IoT Device Management functions. They are specific to your AWS account and you can see what they are by using the describe-endpoint command.

  Endpoint purpose	Endpoint format	Serves
  AWS IoT Core - data plane	See AWS IoT device data and service endpoints.	AWS IoT Data Plane API
  AWS IoT Device Management - jobs data	See AWS IoT device data and service endpoints.	AWS IoT Jobs Data Plane API
  AWS IoT Device Advisor - data plane	See Configure your device.	Not applicable
  AWS IoT Device Management - Fleet Hub	Not applicable	Not applicable
  AWS IoT Device Management - secure tunneling	api.tunneling.iot.aws-region.amazonaws.com	AWS IoT Secure Tunneling API

  For more information about these endpoints and the functions that they support, see AWS IoT device data and service endpoints.

• SDKs

  The AWS IoT Device SDKs provide language-specific support for the Message Queueing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and WebSocket Secure (WSS) protocols, which devices use to communicate with AWS IoT. AWS Mobile SDKs also provide support for MQTT device communications, AWS IoT APIs, and the APIs of other AWS services on mobile devices.

• Authentication

  The device endpoints use X.509 certificates or AWS IAM users with credentials to authenticate users.

• Learn more

  For more information and links to SDK references, see AWS IoT Device SDKs.

AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN gateways and devices

AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN connects wireless gateways and devices to AWS IoT Core.

• Endpoints

  AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN manages the gateway connections to account and Region-specific AWS IoT Core endpoints. Gateways can connect to your account's Configuration and Update Server (CUPS) endpoint that AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN provides.

  Endpoint purpose	Endpoint format	Serves
  Configuration and Update Server (CUPS)	account-specific-prefix.cups.lorawan.aws-region.amazonaws.com:443	Gateway communication with the Configuration and Update Server provided by AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN
  LoRaWAN Network Server (LNS)	account-specific-prefix.gateway.lorawan.aws-region.amazonaws.com:443	Gateway communication with the LoRaWAN Network Server provided by AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN

• SDKs

  The AWS IoT Wireless API that AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN is built on is supported by the AWS SDK. For more information, see AWS SDKs and Toolkits.

• Authentication

  AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN device communications use X.509 certificates to secure communications with AWS IoT.

• Learn more

  For more information about configuring and connecting wireless devices, see AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN Regions and endpoints.