What's the Difference Between WiFi and WiMAX?

Here's a copy & paste answer:

"WiMax is designed for building a network infrastructure when the environment or distance is not favorable to a wired network. Also, WiMax is a cheaper and quicker alternative than having to lay wire. Third world countries will greatly benefit from deploying WiMax networks. WiMax can handle virtually all the same protocols Wifi can including VOIP. African countries are now going to start deploying WiMax networks instead of cell phone networks. Disaster zones can also utilize WiMax giving them the ability to distribute crisis information quickly and cheaply."

Source: http://www.ntcompatible.com/WiFi_Vs_WiMax_-_What_Is_The_Difference_s67911.html

Well, the basic answer is that they are two different standards. WiFi is 802.11 (in all it's permutations a, g, b, n, etc.) and WiMAX is 802.16 -- in all of its permutations.

In more practical terms, WiFi and WiMAX are similar in that they are both radio technologies for data transport. WiFi operates in unlicensed spectrum over short distances. WiMAX operates in licensed spectrum. Both offer high speed data, but WiFi operates in small areas ("hotspots") and WiMAX operates in larger areas -- analogous to cell phone coverage areas. WiMAX has better security than WiFi -- if the operator choses to enable it on the network. In fact, that is the biggest difference:the operator. The operator of your local WiFi coffee house hotspot choses what kind of security to use, how to register users, what kind of back-haul, etc. and these may be very different from the hotspot down the street. With WiMAX, much like cell phones/data devices, you will have a more consistent user experience in that one operator will cover a large geographic area so your experience will be the same throughout the city/area.

The real differences come down to some very technical discussions about access, registration, modulation schemes, frequencies used, etc.

You can get much more detail via a Google search.

GA.

For the real difference; On access,Wifi is by contention while wimax is by scheduling

On modulation scheme; wifi take Spread spectrum (Direct sequence or Frequency hopping) while wimax takes Scalable orthogonal frequency division multiple access.

On frequencies; wifi takes 2.4 or 5.8 GHz while wimax takes 2.5 or 3.3GHZ

etc

cheers,

ethobil