- Why does Wi-Fi have so much more bandwidth than Bluetooth? [closed]
- 2 Answers 2
- Which is faster Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?
- What is Bluetooth vs WiFi?
- Which is better WiFi 802.11n or Bluetooth 3.0?
- What’s the difference between wireless Ethernet and Bluetooth?
- Is Bluetooth Faster than Wi-Fi?
- The Question
- The Answer
Why does Wi-Fi have so much more bandwidth than Bluetooth? [closed]
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- 1 Mbps — Bluetooth 1.1
- 3 Mbps — Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
- 24 Mbps — Bluetooth 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0
- 54 Mbps — 802.11a
- 600 Mbps — 802.11n
Why does Bluetooth have so little throughput compared to the Wi-Fi standards?
Is it simply because the standard set by the governing body intentionally sets a lower data transfer rate in order to allow hardware costs to stay low?
Is it possible we could get a «Bluetooth 5» with bandwidth on the order of 802.11a or 802.11n, or is there some deliberate design decision that results in low transfer rates (e.g. sacrificing speed in favor of low power consumption)?
Edit: to be clear, I understand that the listed data rates are theoretical maximums and do not reflect real world performance.
2 Answers 2
Both Bluetooth and WLAN [802.11] operates on ISM band 2.4GHz. additionally WiFi has a version that operates on 5 Ghz band too.
1] Why WiFi has more bandwidth or speed than Bluetooth?
Because WiFi is designed to have more speed than Bluetooth. The factor which makes the difference is power usage. Bluetooth is designed as a technology that uses very low amount of power. So data rates are restricted in the PHY [physical layer used by Bluetooth] to achieve this low power usage. Basically Bluetooth’s PHY layer uses low data rate’s because low data rate require very little power.
WiFi is designed as a wireless rival of Ethernet. So bandwidth [speed] matters. So WiFi’s physical layer [PHY] is designed to have higher data rates. Higher data rates means more power, this also means your devices battery power will be drained faster.
2] Is it possible to have Bluetooth-5 with more bandwidth than 802.11-n?
Absolutely possible, if Bluetooth protocol stack is placed on top of a higher bandwidth PHY, Bluetooth will achieve higher bandwidth.
There is a technology called AMP [Alternate MAC PHY] as part of Bluetooth spec 4.0 [if my memory is correct], where Bluetooth protocol stack sits on top of WLAN [802.11] MAC. This approach was to solve Bluetooth’s bandwidth problem. AMP is not used by many people today I guess.
3] PHY Data rates and achievable data rates
The rates advertised [54 mbps — 802.11 a] is the maximum raw throughput achievable at PHY level , in «ideal channel conditions». Which means in labs. typically when we use it in real world, there will be interference and so retries. This will reduce the bandwidth. also the protocol stack layer and applications on top of PHY will add latency on top of it. typically with a best performing implementation of 802.11a , the maximum achievable application level throughput in real world scenarios is around 40 MBPS.
Hope it helps. I am happy to answer more, if you got more questions on this.
Which is faster Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?
Speed. Wi-Fi has a maximum speed that is much faster than Bluetooth: at least 54 Mbps for Wi-Fi, vs. only 3 Mbps for Bluetooth. As a result, Bluetooth is typically used for transferring small chunks of data, such as the numerical values from IoT sensors.
What is the maximum speed on a 802.11 n wireless network?
300 Mbps
802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) With the 802.11n standard, Wi-Fi became even faster and more reliable. It supported a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 300 Mbps (and could reach up to 450 Mbps when using three antennae).
Does Bluetooth need WiFi?
Bluetooth works using short-range radio waves, not an internet connection. This means that Bluetooth will work anywhere you have two compatible devices — you don’t need any sort of data plan, or even a cellular connection.
What is Bluetooth vs WiFi?
Bluetooth allows for short-range data transfer between devices. As an example, it is commonly employed in headsets for mobile phones, enabling hands-free phone use. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, allows devices to connect to the Internet.
How fast is 2.4 GHz 802.11 N?
Bandwidth comparison – 2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz signal
Frequency | Theoretical Speed | Real-World Speed |
---|---|---|
2.4 GHz (802.11b) | 11 Mbps | 2-3 Mbps |
2.4 GHz (802.11g) | 54 Mbps | 10 -29 Mbps |
2.4 GHz (802.11n) | 300 Mpbs | 150 Mbps |
5 GHz (802.11a) | 6-54 Mbps | 3 – 32 Mbps |
What is faster BG or N?
In basic terms, 802.11n is faster than 802.11g, which itself is faster than the earlier 802.11b. On the company website, Apple explains that 802.11n offers “greater performance, more range, and improved reliability”.
Which is better WiFi 802.11n or Bluetooth 3.0?
On paper Wi-Fi 802.11n promises a huge increase in bandwidth (up to 300Mbps vs. 54Mbps for the b/g standards) and improved performance at longer ranges. Bluetooth 3.0 similarly promises faster speeds (24Mbps vs. 3Mbps for v2.1+EDR) and adds better power management along with low-latency connections.
What’s the difference between 802 11N and 802.11ac WiFi?
First the bad news: 802.11ac WiFi doesn’t really reach any further than 802.11n WiFi. In fact 802.11ac uses the 5GHz band while 802.11n uses 5GHz and 2.4GHz. Higher bands are faster but lower bands travel further.
Which is better 2.5GHz or 802.11b / g?
With 802.11b/g the typical range is 32 meters indoors and 95 meters (300 ft) outdoors. 802.11n has greater range. 2.5GHz Wi-Fi communication has greater range than 5GHz. Antennas can also increase range. Fairly simple to use. Can be used to connect upto seven devices at a time.
What’s the difference between wireless Ethernet and Bluetooth?
Wireless Ethernet: 802.11n And Bluetooth 802.11n The latest wireless network standard, 802.11n (also known as Wireless-N), was published in October 2009. 802.11n hardware uses a technology called multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) to increase throughput and range.
First the bad news: 802.11ac WiFi doesn’t really reach any further than 802.11n WiFi. In fact 802.11ac uses the 5GHz band while 802.11n uses 5GHz and 2.4GHz. Higher bands are faster but lower bands travel further.
What’s the difference between 802.11b and Bluetooth?
IEEE has developed 802.15.2, a specification for enabling coexistence between 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth. It can use various time-sharing or time-division methods to enable coexistence.
Wireless Ethernet: 802.11n And Bluetooth 802.11n The latest wireless network standard, 802.11n (also known as Wireless-N), was published in October 2009. 802.11n hardware uses a technology called multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) to increase throughput and range.
Which is better WiFi or Bluetooth for mobile?
Wi-Fi is better suited for operating full-scale networks because it enables a faster connection, better range from the base station, and better wireless security (if configured properly) than Bluetooth. Security issues are already being debated. Mobile phones, mouse, keyboards, office and industrial automation devices.
Is Bluetooth Faster than Wi-Fi?
Akemi Iwaya has been part of the How-To Geek/LifeSavvy Media team since 2009. She has previously written under the pen name «Asian Angel» and was a Lifehacker intern before joining How-To Geek/LifeSavvy Media. She has been quoted as an authoritative source by ZDNet Worldwide. Read more.
If your devices have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability built in, then which one is actually faster? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answer to a curious reader’s question. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.
The Question
I notice that on my iPhone, when I use my personal hot-spot to distribute Wi-Fi and I have Bluetooth enabled, the phone will make a Bluetooth connection to my laptop instead of a Wi-Fi connection. So I am wondering…is Bluetooth faster than Wi-Fi?
The Answer
The Bluetooth standard’s maximum data rate is, at best, 3 Mbps or about 2.1 after protocol overheads take their cut. Wi-Fi on the other hand, maxes out anywhere from 54 to 1300+ Mbps depending on whether you have “g”, “n”, or “ac” Wi-Fi plus any enhancements in the adaptors and router support. So no, Bluetooth is not faster than Wi-Fi. Not even vaguely close. Bluetooth version 3 and version 4 have higher data rates, but the actual data transfer in those implementations happens over Wi-Fi; Bluetooth is only used to set up and negotiate the connection.
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.
Akemi Iwaya
Akemi Iwaya has been part of the How-To Geek/LifeSavvy Media team since 2009. She has previously written under the pen name «Asian Angel» and was a Lifehacker intern before joining How-To Geek/LifeSavvy Media. She has been quoted as an authoritative source by ZDNet Worldwide.
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