Introduction

Wireless communication has become the backbone of modern connectivity. From local area networking with Wi‑Fi to short‑range device pairing via Bluetooth, understanding each technology helps you choose the right solution for your project.

Wi‑Fi

Wi‑Fi (IEEE 802.11) provides high‑speed internet access over short to medium distances. It operates primarily in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, with newer standards (Wi‑Fi 6/6E) adding support for 6 GHz.

• Typical range: 30 m indoors, 100 m outdoors
• Max speed: up to 9.6 Gbps (Wi‑Fi 6E)
• Security: WPA3 recommended

Bluetooth

Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1) is designed for low‑power, short‑range communication, ideal for peripherals, audio, and IoT devices.

• Range: 10 m (Class 2), up to 100 m (Class 1)
• Data rate: up to 2 Mbps (Bluetooth 5.2)
• Low Energy (BLE) reduces power consumption dramatically.

Zigbee & Thread

Zigbee and Thread are mesh networking protocols used in smart home and industrial IoT. They operate on the 2.4 GHz band and provide reliable, low‑power communication across many nodes.

• Range per hop: ~10–30 m
• Scalability: hundreds of devices
• Security: AES‑128 encryption

Basic Setup Example (Wi‑Fi)

Below is a minimal HTML/JS snippet to connect to a Wi‑Fi network using the Web Serial API (for devices supporting it).

// Connect to a Wi‑Fi module via Serial
async function connectWiFi(ssid, password) {
  const port = await navigator.serial.requestPort();
  await port.open({ baudRate: 115200 });
  const writer = port.writable.getWriter();
  writer.write(new TextEncoder().encode(`AT+CWJAP="${ssid}","${password}"\r\n`));
  writer.releaseLock();
}

// Usage:
document.getElementById('connectBtn').addEventListener('click', () => {
  const ssid = document.getElementById('ssid').value;
  const pwd = document.getElementById('pwd').value;
  connectWiFi(ssid, pwd);
});

Enter your network credentials and click “Connect”.