Bluetooth versus WiFi

Tony Clark · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 23

Greetings,

Not trying to start a flame war or anything but what are the benefits of BT
versus WF? BT seems interesting but it appears to be more cumbersome to get
working and doesn't seem to have the same widespread support that WiFi has.
Realistically what does BT offer that WiFi doesn't?

Just curious
TC

Archived from group: alt>cellular>bluetooth

Mauricio Freitas · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 99

Bluetooth is a wire replacement. It enables non IP communication between
devices, for things like Serial and Infrared replacement. wi-fi implements
IP communication only.

If you have devices that are not likely to implement wireles TCP/IP
(printers, mobile phones, for instance) go for BT.

--
Mauricio Freitas
Handhelds, mobile: http://www.geekzone.co.nz or
http://www.bluetoothguide.com
Bluetooth guides: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=449

"Tony Clark" wrote in message$rm9$1@slb9.atl.mindspring.net...
> Greetings,
>
> Not trying to start a flame war or anything but what are the benefits of
BT
> versus WF? BT seems interesting but it appears to be more cumbersome to
get
> working and doesn't seem to have the same widespread support that WiFi
has.
> Realistically what does BT offer that WiFi doesn't?
>
> Just curious
> TC
>
>
>

Hamish Marson · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

Mauricio Freitas wrote:

> Bluetooth is a wire replacement. It enables non IP communication between
> devices, for things like Serial and Infrared replacement. wi-fi implements
> IP communication only.
>

Close. Wi-Fi basically implements wireless ethernet. As such it's the layer
BELOW IP and will quite happily handle any comms protocol that ethernet
will transfer.

> If you have devices that are not likely to implement wireles TCP/IP
> (printers, mobile phones, for instance) go for BT.
>
>

Except that even 802.11b is faster than BT. BT's advantage is as already
said that it is a cable replacement. And I belive the encryption is better
than wireless ethernet. On the other hand the quality of implementation of
802.11 is way out ahead of the quality of BT drivers. Software support foir
802.11 is also better.

Another disclaimer should be that they are two entirely seperate markets &
don't tend to overlap very much that I've seen... )(i.e. BT in phones,
802.11 is really computer thing, PDA's appear to be caught between)

--

I don't suffer from Insanity... | Linux User #16396
I enjoy every minute of it... |
|
http://www.travellingkiwi.com/ |

Mauricio Freitas · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 99

In line replies!

"Hamish Marson" wrote in message@eunomia.uk.clara.net...
> Mauricio Freitas wrote:
>
> > Bluetooth is a wire replacement. It enables non IP communication between
> > devices, for things like Serial and Infrared replacement. wi-fi
implements
> > IP communication only.
> >
>
> Close. Wi-Fi basically implements wireless ethernet. As such it's the
layer
> BELOW IP and will quite happily handle any comms protocol that ethernet
> will transfer.
>

Agreed... Just being generalist.

> > If you have devices that are not likely to implement wireles TCP/IP
> > (printers, mobile phones, for instance) go for BT.
> >
> Another disclaimer should be that they are two entirely seperate markets &
> don't tend to overlap very much that I've seen... )(i.e. BT in phones,
> 802.11 is really computer thing, PDA's appear to be caught between)
>

Agreed absolutely. They're intended to different markets...
--
Mauricio Freitas
mobility, wireless, handhelds: http://www.geekzone.co.nz or
http://www.bluetoothguide.com

Bill Austin · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

"Tony Clark"
> Not trying to start a flame war or anything but what are the benefits of
BT
> versus WF? BT seems interesting but it appears to be more cumbersome to
get
> working and doesn't seem to have the same widespread support that WiFi
has.
> Realistically what does BT offer that WiFi doesn't?

The best collections of articles on the subject are still these:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wirelesslan/message/3297

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blueinfo/message/211

Bill Austin
Wireless LAN Weblog
http://www.wireless--lan.com/wlanforum.html