Bluetooth versus Wi-Fi
In few words
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both wireless technologies, that is they are technologies that aim at replacing wires with radio signals.
But which wires are replaced by these technologies?
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wires replacement
- Wi-Fi is a replacement for the LAN cables.
- Bluetooth is a replacement for all the other cables connecting a computer to other devices (e.g. the mouse, the keyboard, a modem, etc…).
Here you are with some few examples:
Example of a Wi-Fi LAN connection between a Laptop and a PDA, both used as computers
Example of BT connection between a Laptop and a PDA (used as phone with integrated MODEM)
Example of a BT connection beween a PDA (used as phone, or MP3 player) and a Headset
Of course, having to replace two different types of cables, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have different characteristics…
Technical Details
| Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | |
| Time Table | Standard in 1998, Products in 2000 | Standard in 2000, Products in 2001 and 2002 |
| Frequency Band | IEEE 802.11b - 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11a - 5GHHz IEEE 802.11g - 2.4 |
2.4 GHz |
| Speed | 11 Mbps - 54 Mbps (Effective speed - half of rated speed) | 1-2 Mbps (Effective speed - less than 50% rated speed) |
| Modulation Technique | Spread Spectrum OFDM |
|
| Distance Coverage | Up to 1200 feet - 802.11g Up to 300 feet - 802.11b Up to 60 ft - 802.11a |
Up to 30 feet now - efforts to increase coverage and speed |
| Number of access points required | Every 200 feet - 802.11b Every 50 feet - 802.11a |
Every 30 feet - 25 to 30 times number of Bluetooth access points; |
| Interference with other devices | 2.4 GHz band is polluted - significant interference here | 2.4 GHz band is polluted - significant interference here |