What is a wireless access point Access point?

Wireless access points are everywhere in modern networks. There are wireless access points in cities big and small. We know that access points allow us to connect to the Internet, but how do they do it? Their advantages and disadvantages are What, this article will introduce to you.

What is a wireless access point?

A wireless access point, commonly referred to as an access point (AP), is a network device that provides easy wireless access to the Internet. Most access points look very similar to routers. In fact, modern routers can often be used as Access point, Internet service providers often provide their customers with routers that have access point functionality to simplify setup.

If carriers gave them routers without access point functionality, customers would have to connect a dedicated access point to the router to enjoy wireless internet access, which would be very inconvenient and beyond the expertise of most home users.

A wireless access point is often confused with a hotspot, a wireless access point that covers an area that has a WiFi signal, and an area that can connect to the Internet wirelessly is called a hotspot.

Before WiFi networks, connecting new devices to the Internet was problematic because each new device had to be wired to a router connected to the Internet, and after the explosion of the smartphone market, fast, ubiquitous Internet access has become the norm, as have WiFi access points, most people manage their own WiFi access points at home, but few know how to achieve the best signal strength and best download and upload speeds.

The InTalk WR1200 was the first IEEE 802.11 compliant access point (AP), introduced in 1998, and supports a maximum rate of 2 Mbps.

The first 802.11 access point

Advantages of Wireless Access Points

1. More user access

Typically, wireless routers allow 10 – 20 users or devices to access the network, and wireless access points allow 50 – 100 or more users or devices to access the network.

Wireless access points have greater ability to send and receive signals, allowing for high usage.

2. Wider transmission range

A wireless router's signal coverage can reach a dozen meters or 10-12 meters, however, wireless access point coverage is more than 100-300 meters.

For large offices or buildings of large enterprises, where wide range is very important, using this wireless access point, users can easily roam the network.

3. Flexible networking

In addition to the home, wireless networking often involves many wireless devices, and different networking modes are implanted according to the environment and needs of commercial places.

4. Enhanced network security

Wireless access points can include features such as captive portals and access control lists that allow access only to authorized users to enhance network security.

Disadvantages of Wireless Access Points

1. High cost

Wireless APs are a bit expensive because the larger the enterprise size of a wireless-scale network, the more wireless access points are required, and the cost increases.

2. Poor stability

Since wireless networks use air as the transmission medium, wireless access points have less network stability and slower speeds compared to wired networks, because the transmission medium in wired networks is cables, especially in WLANs, where there are more devices , but slower, wired networks are faster and more stable than wireless networks.

How do wireless access points work?

The access point connects directly to a broadband router or network switch via an Ethernet or data cable, which provides the AP with the required internet connection and bandwidth. It then sends and receives wireless signals in the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz frequency range (WIFI), thus connecting wirelessly to your local area network (LAN) and the Internet.

Key Differences Between Wireless Access Points and Wireless Routers

• Routers can provide wired or wireless connectivity to multiple user devices, while APs primarily serve wireless devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Essentially, an AP brings wireless functionality to a wired network, and a router combines the functionality of an AP with that of a broadband router—connecting the LAN and the Internet.
• Wireless routers serve residential and small organizations, where a single device that combines AP and routing functions can easily meet relatively modest user needs. Wireless routers cannot scale effectively to reflect evolving network demands, making it unsuitable for wireless LANs (WLANs), which are expected to grow significantly.
• Wireless APs are used in larger businesses and venues that require many APs to provide services, for example, to cover a wide physical area or support thousands of users, as demand grows, network administrators can add additional access point, enabling a more scalable design than what a wireless router can support.
• In larger WLANs, it often makes sense to have multiple APs connected to a single router, then the wireless stations can be treated as one large subnet, which is helpful when users roam from one AP to another , Another benefit of this model is that wireless access control can be centralized on one router instead of being scattered on several independent routers, enabling more efficient and effective network management.

Summarize

Wireless access point is a very important and useful device, especially in large-scale networks, it brings great convenience to us to expand the network. This article introduces the concept, advantages and disadvantages of wireless access point and the connection between wireless access points and wireless routers. I hope this article will be helpful for you to understand wireless access points,