1. Zigbee : Zigbee is like UWB (Ultra-Wide Band). the frequency range supported in Zigbee is mostly 2.4 GHz worldwide, which means 2.4 GHz is not supported at all times. It covers more distance as compared with Bluetooth. There are sixteen RF channels in Zigbee. Below are some important points about Zigbee :
- It was developed under IEEE 802.15.4.
- The frequency range supported in Zigbee is mostly 2.4 GHz worldwide.
- It also uses BPSK and QPSK modulation techniques like UWB.
- There are more than sixty-five thousand (65000) cell nodes in Zigbee.
- There are sixteen RF channels in Zigbee.
- Zigbee also requires low bandwidth but greater than Bluetooth’s bandwidth most of the time.
- The radio signal range of Zigbee is ten to a hundred meters.
2. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. It is a technology for wireless local area networking with devices based on IEEE 802.11 standards. Wi-Fi compatible devices can connect to the internet via a WLAN network and a wireless access point abbreviated as AP. Every WLAN has an access point that is responsible for receiving and transmitting data from/to users. IEEE has defined certain specifications for wireless LAN, called IEEE 802.11 which covers physical and data link layers. Below are some important points about Wi-Fi :
- It requires a wireless adapter on all devices and a wireless router for connectivity.
- Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity.
- It consumes high power.
- It provides better security.
- Wi-Fi supports a large number of users.
- The radio signal range of Wi-Fi is 100 meters.
- It requires high bandwidth.
Difference between Zigbee and Wi-Fi :
| S. No. | Zigbee | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Zigbee alliance and IEEE manages Zigbee. | The Wi-Fi alliance and IEEE manages Wi-Fi. |
| 2. | The frequency range supported in Zigbee mostly 2.4 GHz worldwide. | Wi-Fi transmits data at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequencies. |
| 3. | ZigBee network types include Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN). | Wi-Fi networks are Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN). |
| 4. | ZigBee has a range of 10 to 30 meters. | Wi-Fi has a range of 30 to 100 meters. |
| 5. | It consumes less power. | It consumes high power. |
| 6. | It uses BPSK and QPSK modulation techniques like UWB. | It doesn’t use BPSK and QPSK modulation techniques like UWB. |
| 7. | It supports less number of users. | It supports large amount of users. |
| 8. | CRC 16 is used for data protection. | The data is protected by a 32-bit CRC. |
| 9. | The radio signal range of ZigBee is ten to hundred meters. | The radio signal range of Wi-Fi is 100 meters. |
| 10. | Zigbee network is more reliable compared to Wi-Fi network. | Wi-Fi network is less reliable as compared to Zigbee network. |
| 11. | It requires low bandwidth but greater than Bluetooth’s bandwidth most of time. | It requires high bandwidth. |
| 12. | Zigbee frequencies are less stable. | Wi-Fi frequencies are more stable. |
| 13. | Zigbee is for Wide Area Network based applications. | Wi-Fi is for Local Area Network based applications. |
| 14. | Zigbee is utilized for home automation. | Wi-Fi is used for internal cellular connections. |
| 15. | Freescale, Ember, Texas Instruments (CC2530, CC2531), Marvell, ATMEL, and Microchip are well-known manufacturers of ZigBee chips. | Texas Instruments (CC3000), Microchip, Red Pine, and Broadcom are well-known Wi-Fi manufacturers. |