Broadbands and WiFi are terms often used interchangeably due to their closely related functions. Even though they are similar, they have distinctive differences, and understanding their separate functions will help you know more about the basics of the internet connections you use regularly. 

Broadband is the actual internet connection that your router uses to receive and send data from your building to the wider world, while WiFi is just a wireless connection that connects your wireless devices to your router for stronger internet signals. 

This means that your WiFi cannot function as broadband which connects you to the internet. Think of broadband as a connection that allows many devices to have access to the internet at the same time. It is like a pathway that the internet (data) passes to get to your devices. It is a wide bandwidth data transmission. 

Rango, a fast, reliable, and secure internet service provider, ensures that their customers are well aware of these differences so that they can be informed about how the internet works.

What Is A Broadband?

Broadband is referred to as the high-speed internet connection that allows many devices to access the web at the same time. Supplied by service providers, it is the type of connection you use in your homes and businesses. Broadband covers the internet speed, subscription plans, and the bandwidth of your ISP’s internet connection. 

Broadband uses many different lines to transmit data from the server to several devices at the same time, making it a fast internet connection option as there is no interference between each line. There are different types of broadband – the wired and wireless connection. 

The wired connection broadband includes Cable, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), and fiber broadband, and they connect devices to the internet using cables. On the other hand, the wireless broadband connection receives signals from 4G cell towers nearby using the 4G routers in your house. With the signal, it sends and receives data from the tower. With this wireless broadband, you don’t have to remain in a position to stay connected to the internet. 

Another type of broadband is the mobile broadband that allows you to access the internet while you’re on the go. They are usually provided by mobile networks, and are in the form of portable devices powered by in-built batteries. They are called MiFi and allow many devices to connect to the internet at once.

How Does Broadband Work?

It connects multiple devices to the internet using many lines, unlike the old dial-up connections, which only use one line. The different devices get to receive their data quickly and at the same time as there is no interference from other devices or radio frequencies. This makes broadband a good option for internet connection.

What Is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is very often mistaken for an internet connection. It is simply a wireless connection that allows different devices to interact with one another. For example, it allows you to connect your smartphone to your router. 

The technology helps you transfer data from your broadband using radio frequencies. This means you can access your broadband without the need for physical connectivity using your wireless devices.

Wi-Fi does not guarantee your access to the web, as you can connect your device to your home router and still not have an internet connection. Wi-Fi is only an invisible path that allows two devices to connect without any form of wiring or physical connection. This way, you can access broadband without a wired connection.

What Is The Difference Between Broadband And Wi-Fi

We have carefully defined Broadband and Wi-Fi for you to understand what they mean and know their differences. Although both terms are closely related, they cannot be used interchangeably.

Wi-Fi Is Not an Internet Connection

Just because you are connected to your router after turning on the Wi-Fi on your wireless devices doesn’t mean you have an internet connection. You only get access to the web when your device has connected to broadband through the Wi-Fi configured on your device.

The function of the Wi-Fi is to help your device link up with broadband, which provides an internet connection, without the use of physical connectivity such as cables.  Wi-Fi also connects wireless devices like smartphones and computers to each other to transfer files or share mobile networks.

Is Broadband Strictly A Wired Internet Connection?

No. Broadband is not strictly a wired internet connection. Wireless broadband requires physical connectivity (cable) to supply internet connection to your devices. Examples of such broadband types include ADSL, Cable, and Fiber Broadband. There is also wireless broadband which makes use of a mobile network.

Is Wireless Broadband The Same As Mobile Broadband?

No, they are not; wireless broadband, also known as fixed wireless internet, does not use mobile networks for data. Instead, signal is sent out from mobile devices to a tower through radio waves to a receiver in the tower’s line of sight. This receiver then provides an internet connection in a limited space. This means that if fixed wireless broadband is in a building and you move out of the vicinity, you would lose access to the internet. 

On the other hand, Mobile Wireless Broadband is provided by mobile networks. They come in the form of portable mobile devices that are powered by batteries. These devices are called MiFi and can serve as an additional internet connection for accessing the web. Your device switches connections from tower to tower as you move to give you access to the internet as long as you are within the range of a tower.

Conclusion

Broadbands are different from Wi-Fi in that they are internet connections that supply data to multiple devices using many lines, allowing the devices to receive data quickly and simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Wi-Fi is a technology that allows wireless devices to interact using radio frequencies. It is not an internet connection as most people so often think.