1 | P a g e

Wi-Fi and Wi-Max

Comparison
Wi-Fi and Wi-Max Comparison
Ali Asad
MPhil Computer Science
Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore
Islamabad
Table of Contents
Abstract
The architecture of Wi-Fi and Wi-Max technologies was studied for the purpose to
deduce which is better. The comparison was based on the coverage, bandwidth, hardware,
security, and wireless channels. After considering different aspects it was concluded that both
technologies have their places, no one is better than other. The application scenario will
determine where to use what.
Introduction
enerally broadband wireless access networ!s are providing better capacity and
bandwidth. "n remote and difficult areas where wired networ!s are not effective solution,
wireless networ!ing has offered us an alternative solution for such problem of communication
and information access. Wireless technology has evolved the peoples to share information and
communicate by overpowering issues lin!ed with distance and location. #roadband wireless
access is replacing cable modems and $%& lines.
WiMA' and Wi-Fi are both wireless based networ!ing protocol but difference in in their
implementation and use. Wi-Fi was developed to provide connectivity to handheld devices
indoor. (n the other hand WiMA' was developed to replace $%& last mile connectivity
providing higher bandwidth connectivity.
Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)
Wi-Fi stands for wireless fidelity. Most of W&A)s *Wireless &A)s+ now a days are
using Wi-Fi so this has become a synonym for W&A)%s. Wi-Fi is a popular technology which
allows any electronic device to exchange and transfer data wirelessly over the networ! giving
rise to high speed internet connections. Any device which is Wi-Fi enabled *li!e personal
computers, video game consoles, %martphone, tablet etc.+ can connect to a networ! resource li!e
the internet through a wireless networ! access point. ,
1
- These access points are providing ./
miters indoor coverage and larger range in outdoor environments. This is achieved by using
multiple overlapping access points. 0owever with all such features, Wi-Fi also suffers from
certain shortcomings. Wi-Fi has a shortcoming that it is less secure as compared to wired
networ!ing technologies this is because attac!er does not need to connect to networ! physically.
Web pages that are transmitted on Wi-Fi without encryption can easily be read by an attac!er. To
avoid these security problems Wi-Fi has some security mechanisms. These include encryption
techni1ues li!e W23, W3A, and W3A.. The W23 was an early security mechanism which was
proved vulnerable to attac!ers. W3A and W3A. were developed later to provide more secure
communication.
Standards
There are three well !nown 4/..55 wireless family standard widely used today.
2.1.1 !" IEEE 802.11b
(riginal 4/..55 standard defines features and services provided by 4/..55b standard. (nly
physical layer is modified in 4/..55b standard to enhance bandwidth and error free connectivity.
4/..55b standard added 6.6 Mbps and 55 Mbps bandwidth based on modification in physical
layer to the Wireless &A)s. 4/..55b standard does not use Fre1uency 0opping since it cannot
support higher data rates, instead it uses $irect %e1uence %pread %pectrum *$%%%+. 4/..55b due
to this change in spread spectrum use is compatible with 5 Mbps and . Mbps 4/..55 $%%% but
is not compatible with F0%% systems using 5 Mbps and . Mbps 4/..55. (riginal 4/..55
standard uses encoded named #ar!er se1uence to send data all over the air. #ar!er se1uence uses
55-bit chipping.
2ach data bit 5 or / is represented by 55-7hip se1uence which is converted to waveform called
symbol which is transmitted in air. "t uses #inary 3hase %hift 8eying #3%8 in which symbols
are transmitted at a 5 M%ps *5 million symbols per second+.
"n the case of . Mbps, a more sophisticated implementation called 9uadrature 3hase %hift
8eying *93%8+ is used: it doubles the data rate available in #3%8, via improved efficiency in
the use of the radio bandwidth. To increase the data rate in the 4/..55b standard, advanced
coding techni1ues are employed.
4/..55b specifies 7omplementary 7ode 8eying *778+ instead of using the two 55-bit #ar!er
se1uences, which consists of a set of ;< 4-bit code words. As a set, these code words have uni1ue
mathematical properties which enable to detect and correct errors mathematically. And
interference can be reduced.,
.
-
The 6.6 Mbps rate uses 778 to encode < bits per carrier, while the 55 Mbps rate encodes 4 bits
per carrier. #oth speeds use 93%8 as the modulation techni1ue and signal at 5.=>6 M%ps. This is
how the higher data rates are obtained. To support very noisy environments as well as extended
range, 4/..55b W&A)s use dynamic rate shifting, allowing data rates to be automatically
ad?usted to compensate for the changing nature of the radio channel. "deally, users connect at the
full 55 Mbps rate.,
=
-
2.1.2 !" IEEE 802.11a
4/..55a standard provides much better bandwidth than 4/..55b, it uses eight
simultaneous channels with a 6<Mbps maximum data rate operates in the 60@ fre1uency range.
4/..55a uses (rthogonal Fre1uency $ivision Multiplexing *(F$M+, a new encoding scheme
that offers benefits over spread spectrum in channel availability and data rate. 7hannel
availability is significant because the more independent channels that are available, the more
scalable the wireless networ! becomes. 4/..55a uses (F$M to define a total of 4 non-
overlapping ./ M0@ channels across the . lower bands. #y comparison, 4/..55b uses = non-
overlapping channels.
All wireless &A)s use unlicensed spectrum: therefore theyAre prone to interference and
transmission errors. To reduce errors, both types of 4/..55 automatically reduce the 3hysical
layer data rate. "222 4/..55b has three lower data rates *6.6, ., and 5MbitBsec+, and 4/..55a has
seven *<4, =;, .<, 54, 5., C, and ;MbitsBsec+. 0igher *and more+ data rates arenAt 4/..55aAs only
advantage. "t also uses a higher fre1uency band, 60@, which is both wider and less crowded
than the ..<0@ band that 4/..55b shares with cordless phones, microwave ovens, and
#luetooth devices.
The wider band means that more radio channels can coexist without interference. 2ach
radio channel corresponds to a separate networ!, or a switched segment on the same networ!.
(ne big disadvantage is that it is not directly compatible with 4/..55b, and re1uires new
bridging products that can support both types of networ!s. (ther clear disadvantages are that
4/..55a is only available in half the bandwidth in Dapan *for a maximum of four channels+, and it
isnAt approved for use in 2urope, where 0iper&A). is the standard. ,
4
-
2.1.# !" IEEE 802.11$
The use of different fre1uencies in 4/..55a and 4/..55b ma!e it impossible to
communicate with one another. To solve this problem the "222 developed 4/..55g, which is
compatible with older systems and extended the speed and range of 4/..55b.
4/..55g based Wi-Fi implementation wor!s in ..< 0@ fre1uency, but uses a minimum
of two modes *both mandatory+ with two optional.
The main advantage of 4/..55g is that this standard is fully compatibility with 4/..55b
hence ma!ing it possible for 4/..55b devices to be compatible with 4/..55g devices worldwide.
And this also comparable with 4/..55a offers faster data rates. 0owever the number of channels
available is not increased, because channels are a function of bandwidth, not radio signal
modulation - and on that score, 4/..55a wins with its eight channels, compared to the three
channels available with either 4/..55b or 4/..55g. Another disadvantage of 4/..55g is that it also
wor!s in the ..< 0@ band and so due to interference it will never be as fast as 4/..55a.
Arc!it"ctur"
2.2.1 %!&sica' (a&"r
The 4/..55 originally defines three physical layers, two of them are spread-spectrum
radio based and one is based on diffuse infrared specification.
These radio based standard use ..< 0@ fre1uency band. These three fre1uency bands are
standardi@ed internationally.
4/..55 standard based products does not re1uire special user training for end users and also no
need of license is re1uired to use these. This standard provide minimal interference, boost
throughput, and increase reliability.
4/..55 wireless standard developed originally uses fre1uency hopping spread spectrum *F0%%+
or direct se1uence spread spectrum *$%%%+ to provide data rates of 5 Mbps and . Mbps.
Fre1uency hopping spread spectrum is based on simple radio communication design but provides
bandwidth of no more than . Mbps. Federal 7ommunications 7ommission E%A *F77+
regulations restrict this limitation to use sub channel bandwidth to 5M0@.
These regulations force F0%% systems to spread their usage across the entire ..< 0@
band, meaning they must hop often, which leads to a high amount of hopping overhead. "n
contrast, the direct se1uence signaling techni1ue divides the ..< 0@ band into 5< ..-M0@
channels. Ad?acent channels overlap one another partially, with three of the 5< being completely
non-overlapping. $ata is sent across one of these .. M0@ channels without hopping to other
channels.
To overcome noise in communication this standard uses a special techni1ue called chipping. The
basic idea is that each bit transmitted is replicated which provides great error chec!ing and
correction capabilities. %o the need for retransmission is minimi@ed and networ! performance is
increased.
2.2.2 )ata (in* (a&"r
The data lin! layer has two sub parts
&ogical &in! 7ontrol *&&7+
Media Access 7ontrol *MA7+.
4/... logical lin! control layer uses <4 bit physical addresses as does 2thernet. This feature
allows easy bridging of wired and wireless networ!s and MA7 addresses are preserved in
communication.
"n 4/..55 standard li!e 4/..= the sender senses the shared medium to chec! if some
communication is going on before sending its data. This techni1ue is called 7arrier %ense
Multiple Access with 7ollision $etection *7%MAB7$+ protocol. This is default used protocol in
2thernet based local area networ!s. "t regulates how 2thernet stations establish access to the wire
and how they detect and handle collisions that occur when two or more devices try to
simultaneously communicate over the &A).
"n an 4/..55 W&A), collision detection is not possible due to what is !nown as the
FnearBfarG problemH to detect a collision, a station must be able to transmit and listen at the same
time, but in radio systems the transmission drowns out the ability of the station to FhearG a
collision. To account for this difference, 4/..55 use a slightly modified protocol !nown as
7arrier %ense Multiple Access with 7ollision Avoidance *7%MAB7A+ or the $istributed
7oordination Function *$7F+. 7%MAB7A attempts to avoid collisions by using explicit pac!et
ac!nowledgment *A78+, which means an A78 pac!et is sent by the receiving station to confirm
that the data pac!et arrived intact.
7%MAB7A wor!s as follows. A station wishing to transmit senses the air, and, if no
activity is detected, the station waits an additional, randomly selected period of time and then
transmits if the medium is still free. "f the pac!et is received intact, the receiving station issues an
A78 frame that, once successfully received by the sender, completes the process. "f the A78
frame is not detected by the sending station, either because the original data pac!et was not
received intact or the A78 was not received intact, a collision is assumed to have occurred and
the data pac!et is transmitted again after waiting another random amount of time. 7%MAB7A
thus provides a way of sharing access over the air. This explicit A78 mechanism also handles
interference and other radio related problems very effectively. 0owever, it does add some
overhead to 4/..55 that 4/..= does not have, so that an 4/..55 &A) will always have slower
performance than an e1uivalent 2thernet &A).
Another MA7-layer problem specific to wireless is the Fhidden nodeG issue, in which
two stations on opposite sides of an access point can both FhearG activity from an access point,
but not from each other, usually due to distance or an obstruction. To solve this problem, 4/..55
specify an optional Ie1uest to %endB7lear to %end *IT%B7T%+ protocol at the MA7 layer. When
this feature is in use, a sending station transmits an IT% and waits for the access point to reply
with 7T%. %ince all stations in the networ! can hear the access point, the 7T% causes them to
delay any intended transmissions, allowing the sending station to transmit and receive a pac!et
ac!nowledgment without any chance of collision. %ince IT%B7T% adds additional overhead to
the networ! by temporarily reserving the medium, it is typically used only on the largest-si@ed
pac!ets, for which retransmission would be expensive from a bandwidth standpoint.
Finally, the 4/..55 MA7 layer provides for two other robustness featuresH 7I7
chec!sum and pac!et fragmentation. 2ach pac!et has a 7I7 chec!sum calculated and attached
to ensure that the data was not corrupted in transit. This is different from 2thernet, where higher-
level protocols such as T73 handle error chec!ing. 3ac!et fragmentation allows large pac!ets to
be bro!en into smaller units when sent over the air, which is useful in very congested
environments or when interference is a factor, since larger pac!ets have a better chance of being
corrupted. This techni1ue reduces the need for retransmission in many cases and thus improves
overall wireless networ! performance. The MA7 layer is responsible for reassembling fragments
received, rendering the process transparent to higher level protocols.
Time-bounded data such as voice and video is supported in the 4/..55 MA7 specification
through the 3oint 7oordination Function *37F+. As opposed to the $7F, where control is
distributed to all stations, in 37F mode a single access point controls access to the media. "f a
#%% is set up with 37F enabled, time is spliced between the system being in 37F mode and in
$7F *7%MAB7A+ mode. $uring the periods when the system is in 37F mode, the access point
will poll each station for data, and after a given time move on to the next station. )o station is
allowed to transmit unless it is polled, and stations receive data from the access point only when
they are polled. %ince 37F gives every station a turn to transmit in a predetermined fashion, a
maximum latency is guaranteed. A downside to 37F is that it is not particularly scalable, in that a
single point needs to have control of media access and must poll all stations, which can be
ineffective in large networ!s.
Wi-Fi Ad+anta$"s
"t uses unlicensed radio spectrum and does not re1uire regulatory approval for individual
deployers.
"t allows local area networ!s *&A)s+ to be setup with cabling. The can reduce associated
costs of networ! connection and expansions. 3laces where cables cannot be run, such as
outdoor areas and historical buildings can use wireless &A)s.
"t products are extensively available in the mar!et. There are different brands of access
points and userAs networ! interfaces are able to inter-operate at a very basic service level.
3rices are considerably lower as competition amongst vendorsA increases.
"t networ!s can support roaming. This allows mobile users with laptop computer to be
able to move from one access point to another.
)umerous access points and networ! interfaces support various degrees of encryption to
protect traffic from interception.
Wi-Fi disad+anta$"s
The use of Wi-Fi ..< 0@ band does not re1uire a license in most countries provided that
is stays below limit of 5//mW and one accepts interference from other sources: including
interference which causes the users devices to no longer function.
The spectrum assignments and operational limitations are not consistent worldwide.
3ower consumption is fairly high compared to some other standards, ma!ing the battery
life and heat a concern to some users.
Wi-Fi uses the unlicensed ..<0@ spectrum, which often crowded with other devices
such as #luetooth, microwave ovens, cordless phones, or video sender devices, and
among many others. This may cause degradation in performance.
Wi-Fi networ!s have limited range. A typical Wi-Fi home router might have a range of
<6m *56/ft+ indoors and C/m *=//ft+ outdoors. Ianges may also vary as Wi-Fi is no
exception to the physics of radio wave propagation with fre1uency band.
The most common wireless encryption standard, wired e1uivalent privacy or W23 has
been shown to be brea!able even when it has been correctly configured.
Access points could be used to steal personal and confidential information transmitted
from Wi-Fi consumers.
"ntervention of a closed or encrypted access point with other open access points on the
same or a nearby channel can prevent access to the open access points by others in the
area. "t poses a high problem in high-density areas such as large apartment bloc!s where
many residents are operating Wi-Fi access points.
"nter-operability issues between brands or deviations can cause limited connection or
lower output speeds.
WiMA, (IEEE 802.1-)
WiMA' stands for FWorld "nteroperability for Microwave AccessG. "t is a standard typically
based on global interoperability including 2T%" 0"32IMA), "222 4/..5;d-.//< for fixed, and
4/..5;e for mobile high-speed data. WiMA' is gaining popularity as a technology which
delivers carrier-class, high speed wireless broadband at a much lower cost while covering large
distance than Wi-Fi. "t has been designed to be a cost effective way to deliver broadband over a
large area. "t is intended to handle high-1uality voice, data and video services while offering a
high 9o%.
WiMA' operates in between 5/ and ;; 0@ &ine of %ight *&(%+ at a range up to 6/ !m *=/
miles+ and . to 550@ non &ine-of-%ight *)&(%+ typically up to ; - 5/ !m *< - ; miles+ for
fixed customer premises e1uipment *732+. #oth the fixed and mobile standards include the
licensed *..6, =.6, and 5/.6 0@+ and unlicensed *..< and 6.4 0@+ fre1uency spectrum.
0owever, the fre1uency range for the fixed standard covers . to 55 0@ while the mobile
standard covers below ; 0@. $epending on the fre1uency band, it can be Fre1uency $ivision
$uplex *F$$+ or Time $ivision $uplex *T$$+ configuration. The data rates for the fixed
standard will support up to >6 Mbps per subscriber in ./ M0@ of spectrum, but typical data rates
will be ./ to =/ Mbps. The mobile applications will support =/ Mbps per subscriber, in 5/ M0@
of spectrum, but typical data rates will be = - 6 Mbps.
Applications of fixed WiMA' *4/..5;-.//<+ include wireless 25 enterprise bac!haul and
residential Jlast mileK broadband access, while applications for mobile WiMA' *4/..5;e+ include
nomadic and mobile consumer wireless $%& service. (ther WiMA' applications includeH
connecting Wi-Fi hotspots with each other and to other parts of the "nternet: providing a wireless
alternative to cable and $%& for last mile *last !m+ broadband access. (n flexibility, WiMA'
can be deployed in any terrain across all geographical areas.
WiMA, "c!no'o$&
WiMA' is a technology based on the "222 4/..5; specifications to enable the delivery of
last-mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and $%&. The design of WiMA'
networ! is based on the following ma?or principlesH
%pectrumH able to be deployed in both licensed and unlicensed spectra.
TopologyH supports different Iadio Access )etwor! *IA)+ topologies.
"nterwor!ingH independent IA) architecture to enable seamless integration and
interwor!ing with WiFi, =33 and =33. networ!s and existing "3 operator core
networ!.
"3 connectivityH supports a mix of "3v< and "3v; networ! interconnects in clients and
application servers.
Mobility managementH possibility to extend the fixed access to mobility and
broadband multimedia services delivery.
WiMA' has defined two MA7 system profiles the basic ATM and the basic "3. They have
also defined two primary 30L system profiles, the .6 M0@-wide channel for use in *E%
deployments+ the 5/.;; 0@ range, and the .4 M0@ wide channel for use in *2uropean
deployments+ the 5/.;; 0@ range.
The WiMA' technical wor!ing group is defining MA7 and 30L system profiles for "222
4/..5;a and 0iperMan standards. The MA7 profile includes an "3-based version for both
wireless MA) *licensed+ and wireless 0EMA). "222 %tandard 4/..5; was designed to evolve
as a set of air interfaces standards for WMA) based on a common MA7 protocol but with
physical layer specifications dependent on the spectrum of use and the associated regulations.
The WiMA' framewor! is based on several core principlesH
%upport for different IA) topologiesH well-defined interfaces to enable 4/..5; IA)
architecture independence while enabling seamless integration and interwor!ing with
WiFi, =33= and =33. networ!s.
&everage and openH "2TF-defined "3 technologies to build scalable all-"3 4/..5;
access networ!s using common off the shelf *7(T%+ e1uipment.
%upport for "3v< and "3v; clients and application serversH recommending use of "3v;
in the infrastructure.
Functional extensibilityH to support future migration to full mobility and delivery of
rich broadband multimedia.
Arc!it"ctur"
The "222 4/..5;e-.//6 standard provides the air interface for WiMA' but does not define
the full end-to-end WiMA' networ!. The WiMA' ForumAs )etwor! Wor!ing roup *)W+ is
responsible for developing the end-to-end networ! re1uirements, architecture, and protocols for
WiMA', using "222 4/..5;e-.//6 as the air interface.
The WiMA' )W has developed a networ! reference model to serve as an architecture
framewor! for WiMA' deployments and to ensure interoperability among various WiMA'
e1uipment and operators. The networ! reference model envisions unified networ! architecture
for supporting fixed, nomadic, and mobile deployments and is based on an "3 service model.
#elow is simplified illustration of "3-based WiMA' networ! architecture. The overall networ!
may be logically divided into three partsH
Mobile %tations *M%+H used by the end user to access the networ!.
The access service networ! *A%)+H This comprises one or more base stations and one or
more A%) gateways that form the radio access networ! at the edge.
7onnectivity service networ! *7%)+H This provides "3 connectivity and all the "3 core
networ! functions.
The networ! reference model developed by the WiMA' Forum )W defines a number of
functional entities and interfaces between those entities. Fig below shows some of the more
important functional entities.
#ase station *#%+H The #% is responsible for providing the air interface to the M%. Additional
functions that may be part of the #% are micro mobility management functions, such as handoff
triggering and tunnel establishment, radio resource management, 9o% policy enforcement, traffic
classification, $073 *$ynamic 0ost 7ontrol 3rotocol+ proxy, !ey management, session
management, and multicast group management.
Access service networ! gateway *A%)-W+H The A%) gateway typically acts as a layer .
traffic aggregation points within an A%). Additional functions that may be part of the A%)
gateway include intra-A%) location management and paging, radio resource management, and
admission control, caching of subscriber profiles, and encryption !eys, AAA client functionality,
establishment, and management of mobility tunnel with base stations, 9o% and policy
enforcement, foreign agent functionality for mobile "3, and routing to the selected 7%).
7onnectivity service networ! *7%)+H The 7%) provides connectivity to the "nternet, A%3,
other public networ!s, and corporate networ!s. The 7%) is owned by the )%3 and includes
AAA servers that support authentication for the devices, users, and specific services. The 7%)
also provides per user policy management of 9o% and security. The 7%) is also responsible for
"3 address management, support for roaming between different )%3s, location management
between A%)s, and mobility and roaming between A%)s.
Figure 5
The WiMA' architecture framewor! allows for the flexible decomposition andBor
combination of functional entities when building the physical entities. For example, the A%)
may be decomposed into base station transceivers *#%T+, base station controllers *#%7+, and an
A%)W analogous to the %M model of #T%, #%7, and %erving 3I% %upport )ode *%%)+.
%!&sica' (a&"r
The WiMA' physical layer is based on orthogonal fre1uency division multiplexing. (F$M
is the transmission scheme of choice to enable high-speed data, video, and multimedia
communications and is used by a variety of commercial broadband systems, including $%&, Wi-
Fi, $igital Mideo #roadcast-0andheld *$M#-0+, and MediaF&(, besides WiMA'.
(F$M is an elegant and efficient scheme for high data rate transmission in a non-line-of-
sight or multipath radio environment.
Adapti+" Modu'ation and Codin$ in WiMA,.
WiMA' supports a variety of modulation and coding schemes and allows for the scheme to
change on a burst-by-burst basis per lin!, depending on channel conditions. Esing the channel
1uality feedbac! indicator, the mobile can provide the base station with feedbac! on the
downlin! channel 1uality. For the uplin!, the base station can estimate the channel 1uality, based
on the received signal 1uality.
WiMA, Ad+anta$"s
"nnovate more rapidly because there exists a standards-based stable platform upon which
to rapidly add new capabilities.
)o longer need to develop every piece of the end-to-end solution.
A common platform which drives down the cost of e1uipment and accelerates
priceBperformance improvements unachievable with proprietary approaches.
enerate revenue by filling broadband access gaps.
9uic!ly provision T5 B 25 level and Non demandN high margin broadband services.
Ieduce the dollar ris! associated with deployment as e1uipment will be less expensive
due to economies of scale.
)o longer be loc!ed into a single vendor since base stations will interoperate with
multiple vendorsA 732s.
More broadband access choices, especially in areas where there are gapsH worldwide
urban centers where building access is difficult: in suburban areas where the subscriber is
too far from the central office: and in rural and low population density areas where
infrastructure is poor.
More choices for broadband access will create competition, which will result in lower
monthly subscription prices.
Wi-Fi and WiMA,. Comparison
WiMA' is different from Wi-Fi in many respects. "n fact, Wi-Fi can operate at distances as
great as WiMA' but there are two reasons why it doesnAt. (ne of the reasons is that radios
operating in the unlicensed fre1uencies are not allowed to be as powerful as those operated with
licenses: and from convention, less power means less distance. These regulations are based on
the dated assumption that devices canAt regulate themselves but the assumption may be correct
over great enough distances. The second reason as to why Wi-Fi access points donAt serve as
wide an area as WiMA' access points do is the common engineering belief that the problem of
everybody shouting at once, even if itAs surmountable in a classroom, would be catastrophic in a
larger arena.
The Wi-Fi MA7 layer uses contention access. This causes users to compete for data
throughput to the access point. Wi-Fi even has problems with interference, and throughput and
that is why triple play *voice, data, and video+ technologies cannot be hosted on traditional Wi-
Fi. "n contrast, 4/..5; use a scheduling algorithm. This algorithm allows the user to only
compete once for the access point. This gives WiMA' inherent advantages in throughput,
latency, spectral efficiency, and advanced antenna support. From the technical point of view, it
can be seen that both of these two wireless technologies are not basically addressed at the same
mar!et but are very complementary. Wi-Fi is basically an implementation of wireless local area
networ! within a short range li!e a small building, a college or an institutional campus.
WiMA' on the other hand is a metropolitan technology whose ob?ective is to
interconnect houses, buildings or even hot spots to allow communication between them and with
other networ!s. Although not being targeted on the same use, more recently WiMA' technology
has several advantages compared to Wi-Fi. %uch asH a better reflection tolerance: a better
penetration of obstacles: and an increased in the number of interconnections *a few hundreds of
e1uipment rather than some tens of e1uipment for Wi-Fi+. "tKs obvious that the WiMA' standard
goal is not to replace Wi-Fi in its applications but rather to supplement it in order to form a
wireless networ! web. $espite the similarity in e1uipment cost, WiMA' technology re1uires a
costly infrastructure in contrast to Wi-Fi which can easily be installed using low cost access
points. These two wireless technologies have common components in their operations with a
ma?or difference in the communication range.
Figure . Wi-Fi and WiMA' 7omparison
Conc'usion
WiMA' and Wi-Fi both have their uses. #oth of these technologies have their importance.
For outdoor and long distance coverage WiMax is a better option because it provides better
coverage as compared to Wi-Fi but for indoor use Wi-Fi is the choice. We cannot say that one
technology dominates other. As both of these have their merits. These technologies should not be
thought as competitive technologies as they have diverse applications. "n future as need for
remote connectivity is increasing the Wi-Max will have more scope in nomadic areas where as
Wi-Fi will be used for indoor connectivity.
/"0"r"nc"s
1 http://discovery.org.in/PDF_Files/IJE_201004.pd!
2 http://""".geocities.co#/nish_iitg/"ireless.ht#
http://""".genisat.co#/ht#l/"lan_standard.ht#l
4 http://""".t$torial%reports.co#/"ireless/"lan"i!i/&02.11a.php