Difference Between 4G and Wifi

4G vs Wifi

4G and Wi-Fi are both mobile wireless access technologies operating in different frequencies and in different access ranges. Wi-Fi was in use for some time now while 4G is evolving now and being deployed in some counties in Europe and in America. Wi-Fi can work up to 250 metres only and 4G coverage could go beyond Kilometres. Basically Wi-Fi is a personal wireless LAN used in short range with low setup fees whereas 4G is being deployed by Mobile operators in networks to enhance the performance and increase the speed. Wi-Fi is operated in high frequency thus data rate is theoretically as high as 54 Mbits/s but it can work within a small range only; with 4G the expectation is to reach 100 Mbits/s.

4G (Forth Generation Networks)

Everyone’s focus now turns towards 4G because of its data rate. In high speed mobility communication it offers 100 Mbit/s (Such as trains or cars) and low mobility communication or fixed accessing would results 1 Gbit/s. This is a major revolution in wireless access technology.

It’s very much equivalent to getting a LAN or Gigabit Ethernet connection to a mobile device.

4G provides all IP communication with high speed access to smart phones, tablets, laptops and any mobile smart devices. Theoretically speaking this 4G access speeds are much more than Cable or DSL technologies in the sense 4G is faster than ADSL, ADSL2 or ADSL2+.

Once 4G is launched and if you have at least 54 Mbits/s (Worst case) download on your mobile handset or tablet, you can run any internet application as you do in desktop computers. For example you can run Skype, YouTube, IP TV apps, Video on Demand, VoIP Client and many more. If you have any VoIP client installed on your hand device you can make VoIP calls from your mobile. This is going to kill the mobile voice market soon. At the same time you can subscribe to any local numbers to your mobile VoIP client and start receiving calls on your mobile via IP. For example if you are living in New York you don’t need to get a NY number instead you can subscribe a Toronto fixed line number in your mobile via VoIP client. Where ever you go within 4G coverage or Wi-Fi area you can receive calls to your Toronto Number. (Even you can subscribe to Switzerland fixed number and live in New York).

You can use video calls over IP and have face to face meeting on go. You can make free video calls to your wife, girlfriend or even can have a video conference meeting while you are travelling if you are connected to 4G.

Though 4G has already been rolled out in Europe and North America (Some of the providers are Telnor, Tele2 , Telia in Europe and Verizon, Sprint in US), it is still at the development stage. 4G, inaddition to the target 100 Mbits/s data rate for moving customers and 1GB for stationary users is also expected to achieve greater quality of services to end users without dropping signals and allow interactive roaming worldwide.

The 4G technologies in use are flash OFDM, 802.16e wireless or mobile WiMax and HC SDMA, UMB, 4G-LTE and Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family)

Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) is a wireless LAN technology which could be used in short range. It’s a most common wireless technology used in home, Hotspots and corporate internal wireless networks. Wi-Fi operates in 2.4GHz or 5GHz which are unallocated frequency band (Specially allocated for ISM – Industrial Scientific and Medical). Wi-Fi (802.11) has couple of varieties and some of them are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n. 802.11a,b,g operates in 2.4 GHz frequency and in a range from 40-140 meters (in reality) and 802.11n operates in 5 GHz with OFDM modulation technology thus results in higher speed (40Mbits/S in reality) and ranged to 70-250 meters.

We can easily setup a Wireless LAN (WLAN) at home with Wireless Routers. When you setup Wi-Fi at home make sure you enable security features on it to avoid 3rd party access. Couple of them are, Secure Wireless or Encryption, MAC address filter and more than these don’t forget to change the default password of your wireless router.

Wi-Fi Easy Setup Guide:

(1) Plug the Wi-Fi router to power

(2) Normally Wi-Fi routers are DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) enabled and it will automatically assign IP to your devices.

(3) Connect your laptop and configure the Wi-Fi router with Security features.

(4) If you want to connect to Internet, connect the Wi-Fi router to cable, DSL or wireless internet.

(5) Now you can scan and add your wireless network to any Wi-Fi enable devices or Wi-Fi built in devices.

(6) If you want to have more security enable MAC filter and add your devices MAC addresses in the router to avoid unauthorised accesses.