Access Point or Wireless Router?

Things You Should Consider

Posted on December 12, 2017 by RouterSwitch Tech | 0 Comments

For some network users it’s hard to distinguish the different functions of a access point and a wireless router.

Users always ask the common questions about the difference between a wireless access points and a wireless router; choosing an access point or a wireless router;
need both access point and wireless router?

Of course, there are significant differences between a wireless access point and wireless router.

A wireless access point, or AP, adds Wi-Fi capability to a wired network by bridging traffic from workstations onto an Ethernet LAN.

A wireless router combines broadband router capabilities–such as acting as the gateway between the internet and a local area network–as well as wireless AP
features, inside a single device.

In simple terms, a wireless router can be a wireless AP, but a wireless AP can’t be a wireless router.

What is a wireless access point? A wireless AP connects a group of wireless stations to an adjacent wired LAN. An AP is like an Ethernet hub, but instead of
relaying LAN frames only to other 802.3 stations, an AP relays 802.11 frames to all other 802.11 or 802.3 stations in the same subnet.

What is a wireless router? A wireless router connects a group of wireless stations to an adjacent wired network. A wireless router is a wireless AP combined
with an Ethernet router. A wireless router forwards IP packets between your wireless subnet and any other subnet.
Should you use a wireless access point or a wireless router? Typically, wireless routers are used in residential and small businesses, where all users can be supported
by one combined AP and router.

Wireless APs are used in larger businesses and venues, where many APs are required to provide service–for example, to cover a bigger area or to support
thousands of users.

In larger WLANs, it usually makes sense to have several APs feeding into a single, separate router. Wireless stations can then be treated as one large subnet, which is
helpful when roaming from one AP to another. Wireless access controls can also be concentrated at one router instead of spread across several independent routers.

Wireless routers also have basic firewall functionality, using network address translation to share one internet address across several wireless stations.

Most wireless routers also include a four-port Ethernet switch, so you can connect a few wired PCs to your LAN and let them share internet access, too. In other words,
most wireless routers combine the functionality of a wireless AP, an Ethernet router, a basic firewall and a small Ethernet switch.

Reference from https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/answer/Is-there-a-difference-between-a-wireless-access-point-and-a-wireless-router

Things to Consider When Choosing a Best Wireless Access Point

There is a broad range of wifi access points and if you’re planning to purchase this device, there are several critical factors you need to consider. Some of the most
critical considerations include:

Range: WAPs with range enhancements are advantageous as they reduce the number and general costs of access points. In general, adequate range lowers
overall expenses to the client since fewer access points are required. Majority of enterprise wireless LAN access points are able to give a coverage for an area
between five thousand to ten thousand square feet.The range of a typical residential Wi-Fi network is dependent upon antenna sensitivity, WAP or the router as
well as the precise 802.11 protocol being used.
 Speed: This refers to the rate at which information is processed, usually measured in bps (bits per second), kilobits, and megabits.

Price: The price of best wireless access point hardware depends on several factors. A gadget with a higher price could have more enhancements over the
cheap models and may offer the most features. They may also include critical support and installation tools that are invaluable during installation and support of
the wireless LAN. It could be worth the extra bucks if the slightly expensive wireless access points save you valuable time during installation and support of the
wireless LAN.

Available features: There is a broad variety of features and the strength of these features is not always equal. Ensure that you conduct a thorough and careful
research before you purchase a best wireless access point so that you choose the one that meets your minimum requirements.

WAP Capacity: Capacity is always a critical consideration when choosing the best wireless access point. While almost all manufacturers will advertise
throughput, very few if any will reveal the exact number of users their gadgets are capable of hosting.

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Router for Multiple Devices
Maximum Speed: These days there is a huge variety to choose from in terms of speed, people must keep in mind that the internet speed depends on the
internet connection and the speed mentioned here is the total speed of the network. Some of the most popular variants are the 300 Mbps, 600 Mbps, 900 Mbps
and so on, if the internet plan allows the bandwidth these devices can support even the most fastest broadband connections.

Single band or Dual bands: This depend on the users requirements, signal band routers are ideal for people lively in small house with not many devices. Since
the signal has a significantly range these are not suitable for people with heavy usage and multiple devices, hand the dual band routers on the other band
produce a better signal and wider coverage. If you need to use the network over a large area these might be the better choice for you.

Wireless Standards : These may seem a little complicated to the regular users but its best to get the latest standard router if you have some newer device
which require the AC standard to perform to their maximum potential. Typically the AC standard routers also provide backward compatibilities to all the other
wireless standards like a,b,g and n.

The Security: As of now the best security available for wireless router is the WPA2 which is also known as Wireless Protected Access II, most of the newer
routers will have this included but it is always wise to check as security is very important to protect the people’s sensitive data. Further, the users can ensure
solid security with a password with letters, number and special characters too.

More Topics about Wireless you can read here: https://blog.router-switch.com/category/technology/wireless/

What’s Inside the Cisco Wireless Solution?

Filed in: Cisco Routers, Cisco Wireless Products, Hardware, Internet, Networking, Reviews, Router, Technology, Wireless Tags: access point, access point vs.
wireless router, ap network, LAN, networking, router, WAN, WiFi, wifi access point, Wireless access point, Wireless Access Point vs. Router, wireless ap,wireless
router, wireless-networking, WLAN
Access point vs. Router: The Main differences between access point and router
posted this on Dec 29, 2017
Access Point or Wireless Router? Get to Know the Main differences between access point and router

A router is a device that sends packets to destinations (routes them).

And an access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to it by means of the antennas.

You can have at home, a wireless router, which is the common standard for most users. Those devices actually can excecute functions of routers, switches,
DHCP servers, DNS server and Access points. It’s a cool 5 in 1

Also, you can have a standalone access point and it would be connected to some switch/router to allow users connecting wirelessly have their traffic routed.

An access-point may be also configured as wireless router (maybe a wireless nat router), but also as a bridge between wireless network and wired network.
So an access-point may be a router but is not necessarily one...
A router can be an access point but an access point can’t be a router.

The access point is just that, an antenna to allow wireless clients to connect. But, the actual work is done by a router. Usually the access points are
managed by a WLC (Wireless Lan Controller) in enterprise environments. If it’s an standard alone Access Point, it will be connected to another device
unless it has a routing function built-in.

Just to be clear, they are different devices. Nowadays several functions can be executed by the same device because of several technologies together
inside it. But, it doesn’t mean they are not different in essence and meaning.

I thought about writing "an access-point is only a bridge between wireless and wired networks", but most standalone access-points nowadays may also be
configured as wireless routers (yes, there are some, that can't be configured as routers, I have such an access-point at home, but most current models can
usually also be configured as wireless routers)
 Computer Networking

What is the difference between access point and a repeater?

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7 Answers

Jeremy Johnson, IT/Network Administrator

Answered 3 years ago · Author has 3.3K answers and 7M answer views
Originally Answered: What is the difference between a router and an access point?
Super short answer: wifi router = router + access point

Informative answer:

Due to the blurry overlap in residential equipment let me explain a business/commercial grade router first.

A commercial grade router is only that, a router. This means it has a WAN (wide area network) port for an outside connection (your internet
connection), and a LAN (local area network) port to go to your local computer network.

The primary role of a router is to take the incoming network (the wan internet connection) and create a separate local network that can then
share that single wan connection. A router does this by creating a completely separate IP address pool for said local network and providing
devices with an IP address from that pool (this function is called DHCP). The router then acts as a traffic manager (both for traffic flow and basic
security) between the WAN and LAN network (this function is called NAT). Higher end commercial routers will also use various protocols to track
best routes to reach to other routers as well as many more advanced features.

However, your typical residential/small office router is not only a router but it also has an ethernet switch (turns that 1 LAN port into 4 or 8), and
wifi radio(s) all in one box.
An access point is just a single ethernet port (or an ethernet switch) and the wifi radios. So to put it simply your typical wifi router = router +
access point. Thus it follows the “all thumbs are fingers but not all fingers are thumbs” analogy

By itself, an access point is fully dependent on a router to provide addressing and an outside connection to the internet. An access point simply
allows you to add more wireless devices to an existing network. Hotel’s, schools, etc use many access points to provide WiFi over a large area.
You can configure any wifi router to be only an access point. Some models have a one-click setting for this, but for those who dont you simply
need to set the ip/subnet/gateway settings to that of your router’s lan network, disable dhcp and plug the incoming cable from router into a LAN
port (instead of the WAN port).
Wireless Access Point vs Router: What Are the Differences?

Charlene
December 26, 2019

At 9:00 AM: you're having a video conference via your laptop at your office. At 9:00 PM: you're watching a live show with your phone at home. Wait half a
jiff, have you ever thought about what wireless equipment is working for your unimpeded network? Surely, you've heard people around talking about
"routers" from time to time. Then what about the wireless AP (access point)? Is it the SAME thing with the router? Absolutely not! Wireless access point vs
wireless router, we'll help you distinguish the two different wireless network devices in the following content.

What Is a Wireless Router?

A router is a network device that can transfer data in a wired or wireless way. As an intelligent device, the router is enabled to direct incoming and outgoing
traffic on the network in an efficient way. Traditionally, a router was connected to other LAN (local area network) devices through Ethernet cables for wired
networking. Over time, wireless routers, providing a user-friendly installation without cabling, are increasingly becoming the "darling" for many homes and
small offices.

A wireless router refers to a network device that performs the functions of a router by connecting WiFi-enabled devices, like laptops, smartphones, tablets,
and such wirelessly. For enterprise routers, they support IPTV/digital TV services and can be used for Voice over IP (VoIP) calls. Besides, they also have
firewalls and password protection functionality for defending against the potential threats outside of the LAN.
 Figure 1: The connection scenario of a wireless router

What Is a Wireless Access Point?

A wireless access point, also known as wireless AP or WAP, stands for a networking hardware appliance that adds Wi-Fi capability to the existing wired
network by bridging traffic from wireless stations into wired LAN. The wireless AP can act as a stand-alone device or can be a component of a router.

Generally speaking, a wireless AP enables devices that don't have an inbuilt Wi-Fi connection to access a wireless network with the aid of an Ethernet
cable. That is to say, the signals run from a router to an access point are transformed from wired to wireless. Additionally, a WAP can also be used for
extending the wireless coverage of the existing network in case of the future increasing access requirements.
 Figure 2: The connection scenario of a wireless access point

Wireless Access Point vs Router, What Are the Differences?

Wireless access point and wireless router, both support Wi-Fi network connectivity and perform similar roles. The confusion arises accordingly. Actually,
these two network devices are more like cousins than twins. The differences between the two will be illustrated in the following.

Figure 3: AP vs Router

Function
In General, most wireless routers combine the functionality of a wireless AP, an Ethernet router, a basic firewall, and a small Ethernet switch. While a
wireless access point usually comes as an inbuilt component of devices like routers, or Wi-Fi network extenders. In a word, wireless routers can function as
access points, but not all access points can work as routers.

Unambiguously speaking, a wireless router, playing the role of "Ethernet hub," helps in establishing a local area network by linking and managing all the
devices connected to it. An access point, however, is a sub-device within the local area network that only provides access to the router's established
network. Therefore, if you are a network admin, you can use a wireless router to change the network's settings, but a wireless AP isn't equipped with the
functionality.

Connection

Router mode vs AP mode, the connection way is divergent. The wireless AP cannot be connected to a modem. Typically, a switch or a router will be used
as an intermediary. While the wireless router has a broadband dial-up function, which can be directly connected to a modem for dial-up Internet.

Coverage

The wireless routers are the most commonplace network devices today. But sometimes, the Wi-Fi signals will be weak and some dead spots will appear if
the coverage area the router can't reach. Instead, a wireless access point can be added in locations that have bad network conditions, eliminating dead
spots and extending the wireless network.

Application

Typically, wireless routers serve residential homes, SOHO working environments, and small offices or organizations, which can effortlessly meet the fixed
and moderate access demands. Obviously, this type of router can't scale to reflect the climbing growth in network needs in the predictable future. As
for wireless APs, they are mostly used in medium to large enterprises and organizations, more than one wireless AP are involved to support multiple users.
Unlike the previous situation, network managers can add additional APs as the demand grows, in order to cover a more extensive physical area.
As a rule of thumb, the one with higher-performance can meet more demands. To put it in a simple way, the ultimate effects need to be considered. If you
just want a wireless network at home to cover your family members' needs, a wireless router is sufficient. But if you want to build a more reliable wireless
network that benefits a large number of users, a wireless access point is more appropriate then.

Conclusion

Wireless router vs wireless access point, it all depends on your needs. For a to-be Wi-Fi architecture, there are some key factors that need to be
considered: the physical size of the venue, the coverage of the network, the current number of the Wi-Fi users and even the anticipated access demands.
As a go-to choice for many users, wireless routers are almost indispensable for every household and small business. After the wireless access points
coming onto the scene, today's large enterprises tend to adopt them to cover a bigger area or to support more users in larger LANs.
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Wireless Access Point vs Router–Which One Is Right for You?

Nowadays wireless networks are almost at every home. And surely you hear people around talking about the wireless equipment from time to time. Among,
wireless router is the most familiar one in our lives. However, we’ve heard more and more about the word “wireless access point” or “AP” recently. What’s the
wireless AP? Is it the same as the wireless router? What’s the difference between them? Wireless access point vs router: the difference between them will be
introduced in this blog.

What Is a Router?
Most anyone who has an Internet connection has a router. A router is a device that routes packets between different networks. A typical consumer router is a
wireless router and it has two network interfaces: LAN (including WLAN) and WAN. It serves to connect a local area network (LAN) to a wide area network –
Internet (WAN). That is to say if we want to connect to Internet, we must use a router. Routers on the other hand can manage an entire home or small business
giving network capability to many computers and devices simultaneously, either wired or wirelessly (when wireless router used).
What Is a Wireless Access Point?
As for wireless access point (AP), it’s commonly wire connected to Ethernet network’s router, hub or switch and then to create a simple wireless network. This was
done by using a Ethernet cable to connect a switch and a AP and the AP would then communicate with WiFi devices and giving them network access. Wireless
access point does not route anything. It just converts an existing wired network (LAN) into a wireless one (WLAN). A router can be a access point but a access
point can’t be a router.
Wireless Access Point vs Router: Which One should I Buy?
Before routers became standard with built in WiFi, we must use a wireless AP to connect wireless devices to our network. However, now that most any router has
built in WiFi and plays many roles including being a AP, many don’t use dedicated AP as they have in the past. Then wireless routers are common place in any
network today but often there are weak WiFi signals or dead spots in any network. A wireless access point can be added in locations that have bad wireless
network ability help with WiFi dead spots and extending a wireless network.
Conclusion
In conclusion, access point vs router: if you want build more reliable wireless network, you may need a wireless access point. If you just want wireless network at
home to cover only several people, the wireless router is enough. Today’s wireless AP is widely used in business and larger hotspot WLANs to cover a bigger area
or to support hundreds of users. In larger WLANs, it usually makes sense to have several APs feeding into a single, separate router. FS.COM provides
several wireless access points with high performance to support resilient wireless access services for use in enterprise offices, schools, hospitals, hotels and more.
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