It’s baffling when we take these two categories together because today almost everyone has WiFi at home. Both are wireless but why discussing it particularly? WiFi has almost replaced the wireless broadband. But it’s not true, still people are using wireless connections like PTCL broadband, EVO, WI tribe etc. Many people have switched to WiFi because of its useful spark. WiFi and wireless Broadband [1] both are different forms of internet connections. WiFi provides wireless, speedy connection to internet in a particular area. Wireless Broadband is also a wireless connection to the internet but for vast area. Let’s dig out the difference between WiFi and Wireless Connection.

WiFi: WiFi is a wireless internet use all over the globe. It permits laptops and smart phones to get connected to the internet within a particular area figure1.

Figure1: wifi and wireless network.

Wireless Broadband: it’s a wireless network which gives access to internet over a wide area.

Move on to the difference now!

Inventor:Wi-Fi was invented by Johne Deane and John O’Sullivan.

Wireless Technology was firstly developed by Nikola Tesla.

Coverage area:

WiFi is a standard network that doesn’t cover a very long distance due to this reason it is mostly used for LAN’s [2]. In homes, mostly people prefer Wi-Fi because by using WiFi internet can be accessed anywhere in the home.

When it comes to Wireless connection, it can connect so many computers at a same time and it is mainly used in buildings, offices and educational institutions. And in homes it is used to connect laptops and personal computer to internet.

Set-up: When it comes to their setup, WiFi required a WiFi router which is mainly made up of four devices:

Modem

Router

Linkage Switch

Wi-Fi receiver

It is connected to the land line wire as it uses land line’s infra-structure. Telephone metal wire and for its connection internet access is required in a small region which will connect to WiFi router.

Wireless network mainly connects to wireless router. It’s also called mobile network. In homes, it seems like an aerial on your roof giving a transfer of 1128 Mbps. The router helps in connecting wide-ranging wireless computers over a wide area. Wireless broadband uses 3G and 4G (names of technology). USB mobile wireless network mainly use other technologies to get a high access.

Both Can Be Merged: In this modern age, WiFi and wireless/mobile network can be combined and it’s common in homes and working places [3]. Smart phones have this ability to merge them but all phones cannot do this at homes, small devices are used to connect these two networks. It performs two functions at a time:

Transmission occurs through adjacent mobile tower by using broadband connection.A small WiFi network is produced for devices so that WiFi can easily be used.

Usage Cost: When it comes to the usage of network connection either wireless or without, the cost remains on high cloud. Monitoring the speed, data limit and how much allowance it carries is very important. It mainly depends upon the data package which you are using. For example YouTube, Facebook and social sites use large amount of data which affects the speed and cost. Wi-Fi is a not that much costly in contrast with wireless broadband.

When it comes to wireless connection, it is costly because of landline’s infrastructure.

Speed:

Speed of Wi-Fi varies from 11 Mbps to 54 Mbps.

Speed of Wireless Broadband can range upto 3650 Mbps.

Concluding the whole discussion, by knowing the background and usage, we can differentiate that Wi-Fi is more advanced technology [4] and wireless connection is not that much advanced but still its usage makes it more important and worthy to the world. Both the connections have their own pros and cons depending upon the requirements and availability. In homes mostly Wi-Fi is given preference while on the other hand in hostels and in offices Wireless is preferred. But in today’s era Wi-Fi is mostly used.

WirelessNetwork

1. Wireless network can be configured in two ways. I.e. Adhoc or infrasture mode.Wiresless devices require WLAN cards and access points for communication.
2. Wireless networks requires equipments like Wireless Adapters and access points which ae quite expensive.Cost of wireless networks is high as compared to wired networks.
3. Maximum bandwidth provided by wireless network is about 11Mpbs.
4. The reliability of wireless network is less as compared to wired network.
5. WLANS use wired equivalent privacy (WEP) encryption to protect the data.This makes wireless networks as secure as wired networks.
6. Laptops and other computing devices can be moved around freely within the wireless network because [5] mobility of wireless network is better as compared to wired networks figure2.

Figure2: Broadband and wifi.

References:

1. www.geeksforgeeks.org/differences-between-wireless-adhoc-network-and-wirel
2. https://www.cisco.com/resource-center/networking/wireless-network.html
3. https://www.rfwireless-world.com/Terminology/wired-network-vs-wireless
4. https://ipwithease.com/wired-network-vs-wireless-network
5. https://www.tutorialspoint.com/difference-between-cellular-and-wi-fi-networks

Cite this article:

Nandhinidwaraka.S (2021), Difference between WIFI and wireless Network, AnaTechmaz, pp. 7