WiMAX - WiMAX Versus Wi-Fi

There is lots of confusion amoung both wimax and wifi technologies. There are many reasons for that, one could be both technologies starts with W letter, that makes some people think that they both are same technologies with different names. There is one more major reason why it makes confusing, they both belong from standard setter IEEE and there standards first 3 letter are same “802”, and both wifi and mimax technologies belong from Wireless connectivity family. Here it will be explained these two technologies may have few visiable similarities but how much they are different from each other when considered practically.

Wifi: Wifi is used for developing wireless LAN to access high speed internet or access just a network for file sharing and software services.

WiMax: WiMAX is quite latest technology and it can do far more than just developing wireless networks for high speed internet. It is also refer as Wireless broadband access, which can tranfer not only data, but voice data, video data etc and at muh higher rates..

Wifi: Wifi is capably for short range data tranfer, which can be with in hundred of meters range using non licesend spectrum to access network. WiFi is mostly connected to network in certain area which may not be connected to internet; it can be used for file sharing only.

WiMax: WiMax is designed for long distance coverage and it covers distance in kilometers, it uses licensed spectrum and unlicensed also in some case. WiMax delivers point-to-point connection to the internet from service provide to as user. In WiMax there are multiple standards of 802.16 a, b etc, so they are used for different types of access from mobile connectivity to fixed location connections.

WiFi: WiFi has introduced a quality of service similar to fixed Ethernet, where packets are priorities on their tags. This shows that quality of service (QoS) is relative to packet flow.

WiMax: WiMax uses technology based on setting up connection between end users’ device and base station. Special algorithm is scheduled for specific connection. This shows that Quality of Services (QoS) parameters can be guaranteed for each flow

WiFi is deployed much more than WiMax because of its ease of installation and cost effectiveness. It is easily deployed with in the building or room for providing internet access by third party internet service providers. Many public places, hotels, coffee shops have installed W-fi access points providing high speed internet to their customers