|
Infrared |
802.11b |
Bluetooth |
| Typical usage | * Cradle replacement, Personal Cable replacement
* Short range wireless point-n-shoot Data Exchange and Network Access |
* Wireless version of the Ethernet
* Long range wireless Network Access | * Personal Cable replacement
* Mid range wireless Data Exchange and Network Access (Requires time to discover other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity. Also, user needs to identify which device he/she wishes to connect to.) |
| Bandwidth | * 115Kbps & 4 Mbps, dedicated |
* 11 Mbps, shared | * 1 Mbps, shared |
| Effective Bandwidth | * 115Kbps & 4Mbps |
* 2 to 3 Mbps with WEP enabled, worse due to interference and distance | * 700 Kbps, worse due to interference |
| Interference | None | Other RF devices, building material, equipment |
Other RF devices, building material, equipment |
| Security | Very secure
due to short range and line-of-sight. No link level security protection, requires application level authentication and encryption. |
Unsecured unless well protected.
Subject to network sniffing, session hi-jacking and unauthorized access. The built-in link level WEP is easy to break. Rely on application level authentication and encryption. | Less Secure.
Built-in link level authentication. More difficult for traffic sniffing. Still requires application level authentication and encryption. |
| Power consumption | Low
Very long battery life due to low power consumption and does not have maintain a constant connection |
Very high
Very short battery life due to high power consumption and maintaining a connection. | High
Consumes more power than IR. |
| Supporting Devices | * PDA, laptop, cell phone and ragged handheld have it built-in
* 100s of millions devices |
* Some new laptops have it built-in,
* PDA: requires external H/W card
* Most existing PDA cannot be upgraded
* Millions of cards and devices |
* Very few has it built-in, require external H/W card
* Very few |
| Real-time network access application | Requires user to walk up to an access point |
User does not have to be near an access point | User has to be within 10 meters of an access point. The user may inadvertently walk out of range. |
| Steps requires to connect to LAN | Plug-n-play, point-n-shoot |
Knowledge about networking setup required | Initial setup (bonding) with the access point required |
| Range | 1 meter |
100 meter | 10 meter |
| Component cost | Less than $2 |
$25 | Currently $20; $5 in a few years |
