WiMAX is a short name for Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access. Wimax consists of a base station and a receiver.. Wimax is a similar technology like WiFi, however, Wimax covers much higher distance range compared to WiFi and both the technologies are incompatible. WiFi is typically used within a building or a campus, whereas Wimax is used by ISPs to connect consumers over a wide geographical area, such as a city.