What is the difference between Wifi and WiMAX?

 the two wireless connectivity technologies share.

 Abbreviated Term: Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity, a term that was more of a marketing stint as it rhymed with Hi-Fi. WiMAX, on the other hand, stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, a term fulfilling technological as well as commercial requirements 

 Official Release: Wi-Fi was officially launched in the year1997 where as WiMAX came to the picture in the year2004.

 IEEE Standards: Wi-Fi has been defined under IEEE802.11x standards where x is various Wi-Fi versions. WiMAX is standardized under802.16y family of wireless networking where y refers to various WiMAX versions.

 Versions of the Standard: Depending on several factors such as frequency, range, encryption, application etc., Wi-Fi has several versions of it such as802.11b,802.11g,802.11n.

On the similar factors, WiMAX has a number of different versions too:802.16a,802.16d and802.16e are some popular WiMAX versions.

 Frequency Band: Wi-Fi has been defined under ISM bands where user has to pay no extra charging for utilizing those bands. On the contrast, there is no bar on frequency usage in the WiMAX. This means that WiMAX protocols might work in the ISM bands or they might use a licensed frequency version for which the user probably would be charged.

 Encryption Techniques: Encryption techniques in WiMAX include Triple Data Encryption Algorithm and Advanced Encryption Standards. On the other hand, in Wi-Fi, encryption techniques are Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and RC4.

 Applications: Wi-Fi and WiMAX, though being used for same purpose of data exchange, are designed to cater two completely different needs. Wi-Fi is needed to serve for household and corporate needs of interconnectivity. Wi-Fi technology connects printers to computer, gaming consoles to router etc.

WiMAX serves a larger inter-operable network. WiMAX can be used to provide internet services to a larger area where it can serve households, mobile phones and even Wi-Fi spots. WiMAX has a different hardware specification and currently WiMAX serving towers tend to be as tall as Wi-Fi towers. On the other hand, Wi-Fi antennas are small enough to be placed on5 inch by3 inch routers.

 Range: An ideal Wi-Fi based network reaches around100metres as it maximum range whereas an ideal WiMAX network can reach about80-90kilometers in terms of range.

 Authentication: Authentication is process under Network Security where connection is checked for its identity before being established.  Both these wireless networking technologies apply different set of protocols for authentication purposes. Wi-Fi uses Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security algorithms depending on the Wi-Fi version. On the other hand, WiMAX uses X.509 or PKMv2 as authentication algorithms. 

 Data Transfer Rates: Wi-Fi based networking can transfer data at speeds up to54mbps. On the other hand, WiMAX networks exchange data at speeds upto40mbps. In WiMAX, data transfer rates have more variation as distances to be covered are quite larger.

 Channel Bandwidth: Wi-Fi networks have a channel bandwidth of20MHz, whereas WiMAX networks have a flexible bandwidth option which ranges from1.25MHz to20MHz.

 Bandwidth Efficiency: This term refers to bits of information sent per second per unit frequency. This is a measure of how qualitatively the channel is managed by the network. Bandwidth efficiency of a WiMAX channel (upto5bps/s/Hz) is theoretically twice as efficient as Wi-Fi based networks (upto0.44bps/s/Hz for802.11a and2.7bps/s/Hz for b/g/n standards).

 Difference in MAC Layer: MAC layer is an essential part of an OSI model. It defines communication procedures that a protocol uses.  Wi-Fi’s MAC layer uses CSMA/CA protocol which is not connection oriented while that in WiMAX is connection oriented.

 

 

Simplfy the subject Wifi Reffers to a small scale with lited no of users for data networks

while talking about WiMAX it comes to large scale network with larger range and capacity in terms of No of users and also if we talk about the standard in WiMAX it provides you the moveability while you are moving on a large geographical area like a mobile phone handover (Soft handovers)

 

WiMAX is a long range system, covering many kilometers, that uses licensed or unlicensed spectrum to deliver a point-to-point connection to the Internet from an ISP to an end user.
Different802.16 standards provide different types of access, from mobile (analogous to access via a cellphone) to fixed (an alternative to wired access, where the end user’s wireless termination point is fixed in location.) Wi-Fi is a shorter range system, typically hundreds of meters, that uses unlicensed spectrum to provide access to a network, typically covering only the network operator’s own property.
Typically Wi-Fi is used by an end user to access their own network, which may or may not be connected to the Internet.
If WiMAX provides services analogous to a cellphone, Wi-Fi is more analogous to a cordless phone

here you go: The main differences between WiFi and WiMAX can be as follows:1) IEEE Standards: Wi-Fi is based on IEEE802.11 standard where as WiMAX is based on IEEE802.16.
However both are IEEE standards.2) Range: Wi-Fi typically provides local network access for around a few hundred feet with speeds of up to54 Mbps, a single WiMAX antenna is expected to have a range of up to40 miles with speeds of70 Mbps or more.3) Scalability: Wi-Fi is intended for LAN applications, users scale from one to tens with one subscriber for each CPE device.
Fixed channel sizes (20MHz).
WiMAX is designed to efficiently support from one to hundreds of Consumer premises equipment (CPE)s, with unlimited subscribers behind each CPE.
Flexible channel sizes from1.5 MHz to20 MHz.4) Bit rate: Wi-Fi works at2.7 bps/Hz and can peak up to54 Mbps in20 MHz channel.
WiMAX works at5 bps/Hz and can peak up to100 Mbps in a20 MHz channel.5) Quality of Service: Wi-Fi does not guarantee any QoS but WiMax will provide your several level of QoS.
As such, WiMAX can bring the underlying Internet connection needed to service local Wi-Fi networks.
Wi-Fi does not provide ubiquitous broadband while WiMAX does.
For more details please refer to the following source: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/wimax/wimax_wifi_comparison.htm Regards, Mahmoud Salem

Wifi is more of a local wireless network technology, where the longest ranges are around300 ft.
with the newest iteration(802.11n) you can get speeds of up to300Mbps.
To contrast, Wimax has a much larger range(tests have gone over30 miles), but also has a much lower max speed, which is currently theoretically up to40 Mbps and here in Pakistan we are supporting only upto10mbps.
since they are different standards, their signals are not compatible

Technically speaking, the main difference is that WiMAX basestations do the scheduling for the stations while Wi-Fi basestations do not do so. 

WiMAX is similar to Wi-Fi, but the former has high speed, better coverage and can provide service to many people.
Wi-Fi access is limited to about30 m while the WiMAX coverage extends upto50 km.
Wi-Fi have a maximum speed of about54 megabits per sec.
But WiMAX can provide about70 Megabits per sec.
Full Details : Usual ways of Internet access are Dial up, broad band and Wi-Fi.
Dial up access may be used for very low speed and data access.
They are nowadays not commonly used.
Broadband access is commonly used and it is comparatively faster than dial-up.
Here the connection is through wires.
In Wi-Fi the connection is wireless.
Wi-Fi can be used using wifi router or using wifi hotspots.
There are some problems with these internet access technologies.
Dial up is very slow and broadband is based on wires.Also, broadband is costly and unreachable in many places.
In wifi the range is very small and it makes limited internet access.
So we go for a new technology in internet access which solves the above problems.
That technology is termed as WiMAX.
WiMAX provide high speed internet access without wires and modems.
Instead of small wifi coverage, WiMAX provides broad coverage like a mobile phone network.
WiMAX is short form of worldwide interoperability for Microwave access.
WiMAX could definitely replace cable and DSL services.
It will provide internet connection everywhere.
When you switch on your Laptops, it will connect to the nearest WiMAX antenna.