Wi-Fi vs WiMAX: A basic understanding
Wi-Fi
Based on the 802.11 standard, Wi-Fi, designed circa 1997, is the de facto wireless standard used to build wireless LANs. It uses radio waves to provide high-speed wireless internet and network connections. Wi-Fi specifies how to create a wireless network according to Ethernet standards.
Since it’s been widely accepted and adopted as the standard for wireless internet and network connections, it comes inbuilt in most home, office, and business networking equipment and end-user devices.
To create a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), Wi-Fi-certified networking devices such as routers, switches, and access points are acquired and networked together to provide connectivity to each other and other Wi-Fi-certified end-user devices such as laptops, phones, and printers. A WLAN typically spans a limited space, such as a home, office building, or campus.
All the devices in the network then communicate and transmit data using specific radio frequencies across a limited distance of around 70 meters from the closest wireless access point.
WiMAX
WiMAX, short for Worldwide Inter-Operability Microwave Access, developed in the early 2000s, uses licensed or unlicensed bands to provide connectivity to a large interoperable network. It can be used to provide internet services such as mobile data and Wi-Fi hotspots.
Based on the 802.16 IEEE standard, WiMAX is used primarily by carriers and service providers to build wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), though it has largely been eclipsed by LTE. It was initially thought to be a future competitor for 4G.
WMANs are fixed broadband wireless access links that connect a service provider’s subscriber networks to a base station at the wireless provider’s point of presence. WMAN technologies are optimized for great-distance outdoor deployment as opposed to Wi-Fi, which is optimized for indoor use over limited distances.
It was developed as an alternative to wired internet access, particularly for rural areas where broadband internet access was scarce. It was once touted as the next Wi-Fi, but its uptake and adoption were hindered by high costs, proprietary vendor technology, and diminished carrier interest.
Distinct Differences between WI-FI and WiMAX
- Ethernet Standard: Wi-Fi conforms to the 802.11x (802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n) IEEE standard, whereas WiMAX conforms to the IEEE 802.16x (802.16a, 802.16d, and 802.16e) standard.
- Frequency bands: Wi-Fi primarily uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands, and in some cases, the 6 GHz frequency band. WiMAX, on the other hand, supports 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands.
- Data rates: Wi-Fi has a minimum data rate of 54 Mbps and, as of 2024, can achieve a maximum theoretical data rate of 2.4 Gbps. WiMAX, on the other hand, can achieve a theoretical data rate of 75 Mbps.
- Range: Wi-Fi has a short range of approximately 100 metres for end-user devices and around 5 kilometers for outdoor point-to-point connections. WiMAX has an outdoor range of around 50 km. This means that WI-FI is for LANs, while WiMAX is for MANs.
- QoS: Wi-Fi does not guarantee quality of service during transmission, while WiMAX does.
- Connection orientation: Wi-Fi uses the conflict-based CSMA/CA protocol, which is not connection-oriented, while WiMAX operates on a connection-oriented MAC (Media Access Control).
- Cost: WiMAX installation costs are prohibitively higher than Wi-Fi deployments, hence the limited uptake and subsequent diminishing of WiMAX use.
