Difference betweeen access point and router?
species8350
What is the difference between an access point and a router?
Thanks
Jeff Liebermann
<not_here.5....@xoxy.net> wrote:
>What is the difference between an access point and a router?
A wireless router consists of:
wireless access point (the radio)
ethernet router (does NAT, DHCP, etc)
4 port ethernet switch (for plugging in your wired devices)
An access point has only the wireless access point (radio) portion.
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alexd
> Hi,
>
> What is the difference between an access point and a router?
For home use, none. If you want an access point, a wireless router will be
fine so long as you can spare 5 minutes to configure it as such. It will be
cheaper than anything sold as an access point, too.
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Steve Fenwick
Jeff Liebermann <je...@cruzio.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:43:10 -0700 (PDT), species8350
> <not_here.5....@xoxy.net> wrote:
>
> >What is the difference between an access point and a router?
>
> A wireless router consists of:
> wireless access point (the radio)
> ethernet router (does NAT, DHCP, etc)
> 4 port ethernet switch (for plugging in your wired devices)
I'd say it typically has one Ethernet port intended to be connected
upstream (WAN port) and may have one or more for downstream (LAN)
devices. The Apple AirPort Express (all models) and the original grey
Apple AirPort, which are both wireless routers (they meet the first two
criteria) and has only a single Ethernet port. The other Apple wireless
routers (all of them) have one port usually used for WAN traffic and one
or three ports used for LAN traffic.
Steve
--
steve <at> w0x0f <dot> com
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
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species8350
> In article <44mia5lpk49en7fcsnksrc2t7jsm5mf...@4ax.com>,
Thanks for the information.
Best wishes
S
Nate Bargmann
> species8350 wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> What is the difference between an access point and a router?
>
> For home use, none. If you want an access point, a wireless router will
> be fine so long as you can spare 5 minutes to configure it as such. It
> will be cheaper than anything sold as an access point, too.
I bought a Linksys A-B/G wireless router earlier this year. Since it is
cascaded from my main wired router I plugged the cable from the wired
router to the first switch port on the Linksys. I also disabled the DHCP
server in the Linksys as the wired router takes care of DHCP. I enabled
WPA2 and away I went and the laptop is just another device on my LAN plus
I still have three wired switch ports available (the wired router is
full). So I have an AP along with a cascaded switch using the Linksys in
this manner.
- Nate >>
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the pessimist fears this is true."
Gandalf Grey
4c5510...@m11g2000yqf.googlegroups.com>
Routers route between networks, access points provide access to
a network is a short answer.
Any answer is going to be somewhat ambiguous because
manufacturers will integrate different features on the equipment
to enhance functionality.
A router can act as a network gateway/firewall with NAT enabled.
If NAT is disabled, it acts like an ordinary router with no
firewall. Some functions will not be available.
In either mode, the router will route traffic between other
networks.
A router can act as a DHCP server, traffic filter, provide QOS,
wireless, port mapping, UPNP, IPSEC tunneling, PPTP server, etc.
A wireless router CANNOT associate with another wireless router
using wireless to create a connection between the two. Access
points CAN.
An Access Point is used to connect wireless clients to a LAN or
VLAN(S). They don't route, but they can bridge. You really
don't want to bridge large networks, but it works really well
for smaller networks/subnets in areas where it is impractical to
lay wire or fibre.
Simple AP's usually provide DHCP, wireless security, and they
can associate with another AP to form a bridge over wireless.
With the right antenna setup, an ordinary AP can provide a
reliable "wire speed" wireless bridge connection between two
locations over a mile apart or more. Advanced AP's can also
serve as trunks for VLANS and support Power Over Ethernet (POE).
You can have multiple AP's in the same network to enhance
coverage.
Using tips off various WI-FI sites, and some modified DirecTV
dishes, I have successfully bridged ordinary Linksys AP's over 5
miles with reliable 54 Mbps connections. Line of sight is
important over distance...
alexd
> Any answer is going to be somewhat ambiguous because
> manufacturers will integrate different features on the equipment
> to enhance functionality.
> A wireless router CANNOT associate with another wireless router
> using wireless to create a connection between the two. Access
> points CAN.
My Speedtouch 780WL can do WDS, and it's definitely sold as a router. Like
you say any answer is going to be ambiguous; an alternative answer to the
OPs question could be that the difference between router and AP is whatever
the manufacturer decides the difference is.
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