An interconnected network of smart devices is known as the Internet of Things, or IoT. It makes data collection and sharing possible for these devices. IoT also has many applications in everyday life, such as healthcare, industry, logistics, intelligent environments, social media, personal gaming robots, and municipal data. Both wired and wireless connections are possible for smart devices. Given the tremendous rise in IoT device counts in recent years, research efforts have also focused on discovering ways to increase the scalability of cloud-related services. This work focuses on researching and evaluating communication protocols for communication between objects in an internet of things (IoT) environment. The study also discusses a variety of currently in use data transmission, routing, security, and networking communication protocols. These protocols, which use a layer-based taxonomy, are utilised in environments of the internet of things. Security is among the primary issues in an ecosystem built on the Internet of Things. Numerous lightweight and security procedures have also been described in detail. In an IoT-enabled context, a few of the techniques that researchers recommended have been effectively implemented. Additionally, this study emphasises these protocols’ attributes, traits, and specialisations. Not to mention, a performance-based comparison study of the different messaging protocol has also been provided. In addition, there will be an examination of prominent IoT communication protocols, highlighting important features and patterns in various metrics such as power usage, security, data transfer speeds, and other relevant factors. This comparison provides guidance for researchers to help them choose the right approach for various applications.