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Copyright © 2002 Socket Communications. All rights reserved.

BLUETOOTH AND WI-FI
Understanding these two technologies and how they can benefit you By Michelle Man March 2002

Introduction
The wireless revolution is underway, and devices based on radio technologies are expected to become a significant market in the next several years. Mobile phones, cordless phones, walkie-talkies, car dooropeners, and garage door openers are just a few examples of radio devices that have already achieved widespread adoption in the marketplace. Out of the past several years, two innovations in wireless radio technology have captured our attention: Bluetooth™ and Wi-Fi™ (IEEE 802.11b). These wireless communication technologies show great promise in transforming how people work and communicate witheach other. The media and analyst communities continue to debate the virtues and pitfalls of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b), declaring one or the other “victor” in the fight for widespread integration into electronic devices and adoption by consumers and corporate technology buyers. The inundation of information is confusing to consumers wondering which technology to adopt, as well as tocompanies trying to choose a technology to deploy to mobile workforces. Socket Communications has authored this paper to introduce the origins and characteristics of each technology, as well as to mitigate some of the confusion surrounding them. In the following pages, we will hold these technologies up side by side, in order to better compare and discuss them. We will show how they can complement oneanother and improve the lives of consumers, as well as benefit corporations by enabling a workforce to stay connected, informed, and thus more productive. By explaining each technology and deconstructing the debate surrounding them, Socket hopes to illustrate how Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can be used to enhance your productivity and lifestyle. 1

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Wireless Technologies: How the Properties of Radio Waves Affect Networking Capabilities
To appreciate what Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are and how they work, it is essential to first comprehend some fundamental information about radio waves and how they behave. When used in wireless technologies, the ideal radio wave would have high speed,use little energy, and travel far distances. This type of radio wave would let us transfer information in a few milliseconds, require little battery power, and send signals at whatever range we needed. In reality, however, it is impossible to achieve all three of these characteristics at the same time. It is an established fact that the further and faster that a radio wave travels, the more energyit needs. Because it is impossible to simultaneously achieve high speed, low power consumption, and long range in a radio wave, product designers and developers have instead selected specific characteristics to optimize in certain conditions while creating wireless technologies. This approach has led to the concepts of wireless area networks of different magnitudes, (i.e., personal, local,metropolitan, global, etc.) Each type of wireless area network signifies a specific combination of radio characteristics that in turn translate into specific applications and usage scenarios. For example, while developing applications for a wireless personal area network (WPAN), the wireless area network with the shortest range, product designers and developers need to consider what scenarios demand lowpower more than they do high speed or great range. Conversely, while developing uses for the wireless local area network (WLAN), product designers and developers must determine in which situations users would value moderate range and moderate speed more than they would low power consumption.

Figure 1. Characteristics of Different Wireless Area Networks
WirelessArea Network Wireless Personal...