How To Set Up An Access Point With Wireless Router

[Mohammed Huberty]

Whencomparing a wireless access point vs. a router, several distinct differences start to emerge. While both devices support wireless network connectivity and may perform similar roles, the two devices are more like cousins than twins.

When deploying a new Wi-Fi architecture, the choice between a wireless AP and router depends on key factors, like the physical size of the network, the needs of the organization and the total number of Wi-Fi users. In general, multiple APs can better meet the demands of large organizations and enterprises.

On the other hand, wireless routers often make more sense for small businesses and residential homes, as they package the functionality of two wireless devices -- a standalone AP and an Ethernet wired router -- in a single physical appliance. A wireless router can be considered an AP, but an AP can never be a router.

A standalone wireless AP is a physical appliance that adds Wi-Fi capability to an existing wired network by bridging traffic from a group of wireless workstations onto an adjacent, wired LAN. Conceptually, 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.

The vast majority of enterprises and other organizations require the use of more than one AP. Multiple APs spread out over a network enable Wi-Fi to keep up with demand across a large physical space and a significant number of end-user connected devices, as each additional AP offers another location where users can connect -- thus expanding network coverage and availability. Strategically placed APs throughout an office can help enhance wireless networks by servicing dead spots, or areas with weak Wi-Fi signals.

In such an environment, the group of APs works with a separate Ethernet router -- not a wireless router in this case -- that acts as a gateway. The router sends data back and forth between two or more packet-switched computer networks, such as a LAN and the internet, while the APs connect end-user devices to the LAN.

A wireless router is a two-in-one appliance. It combines the functionality of a wireless AP -- connecting a group of wireless stations to an adjacent wired network -- with the capabilities of an Ethernet router, which forwards IP packets between the wireless subnet and any other subnet.

Wireless routers also have basic firewall functionality, using Network Address Translation to share one IP 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 via an Ethernet cable and let them share internet access, too. Most wireless routers combine the functionality of a wireless AP, Ethernet router, basic firewall and small Ethernet switch.

While a wireless router can be considered a wireless AP -- in the sense that it contains AP capabilities -- a wireless AP cannot be a wireless router. That's why an environment with multiple standalone APs also needs a separate router to act as the gateway between the LAN and internet.

Instead, wireless APs are used in larger businesses and venues, which require many APs to provide service -- for example, to cover an extensive physical area or to support thousands of users. As demand grows, network managers can add additional APs, resulting in more scalable designs than wireless routers would enable.

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 a user is roaming from one AP to another. Another benefit of this model is wireless access controls can be concentrated at one router instead of spread across several independent routers, enabling more efficient and effective network management.

I see both terms used, and I was wondering what the difference is between a wifi router, and a wifi access point. Does the latter only create a LAN, with no way to connect the wifi box with a second network?

A WiFi access point is typically used only in enterprise networks where they have a larger router which routes their entire network and the access point only acts as a gateway between the wired and wireless networks.

I would say that Access Point (AP) doesn't give you IP addresses. If you plug in to its WAN port, the IP address should be the same from it's 'upper' source (ISP, company's LAN, and hotel etc.). On the other hand, Router would provide you different IP segments. The IPs you've got, to your iPhone, iPad, or wireless devices, should be in different segment from the 'upper' source.

They're not the same because the first contains the word 'router' in it. Let me elaborate: A router routes between networks. A router may or may not have wireless capabilities. If it does, it will have one (or two, if it's dual band) physical radio interfaces, and one (or more) corresponding virtual AP interfaces for each of those. I specifically said 'radio', rather than AP, because some (depending on the firmware) will let you set the operation mode of the radio to something else other than AP mode - e.g. WDS client etc.

The point here is, when someone says 'router' and 'AP', they mainly refer to the physical device. A better way of looking at it is not at the device itself, but at what it does, at its features. Anyway,

An AP contains the AP interface I described in the first part of the answer above, but without the routing capabilities of the router - since it's only an AP. That is, a dedicated AP device is the same as the AP on wireless router, but without 'the router part' and thus normally cheaper.

My point about looking at devices in terms of what they do, rather than what they're labeled as physically is about the fact that a device that has multiple functions of things that have different names makes for ambiguity. For example, a router could easily be set so that it doesn't do any routing and simply acts only as an AP and nothing more - as an entry point for clients into the network of a primary router. It doesn't really make sense to refer to it as a router when it doesn't operate as such. Similarly, I'm now holding in my hands what you'd call a 'repeater' (terminology is at its most conflicting here, almost every website outlining differences that are at odds with others' ideas), but it has two modes on its interface I can set it to: repeater and AP mode. I'm calling it repeater since I'm now using it in repeater mode', but if I switch it over to AP mode, things become unclear if I continue calling it 'repeater'.

Well I Think Access Point is a Device from which we can distribute more Ethernet cable and give access trough wire and wireless. but WIFI devices only through Wireless Signals. there are no extra Ethernet ports to connect the device.

I recently saw a friend's home network setup. What seems strange to me is that he uses a wired router to connect to the Internet via an Ethernet cable. The only device connected to the wired router (Ubiquiti EdgeRouter 4) is a wireless AP (Ubiquiti UniFi AP) which all his devices connect to. He insists that using a separate router and an independent AP is better than the popular and simple family setup of wireless router, because he has seen this setup at many, many tech companies.

He argues that this setup benefits more devices as well as heavy Internet traffic, which, for him, is Netflix and video conferencing. Tech guy, lives alone, works from home. He does have quite a few devices, 10, give or take: three phones, two laptops, a TV and some other smart things hooked up on the network. Coverage is not an issue. We are talking one home office room/bedroom. His needs revolve around a fast and stable network for streaming and video conferencing.

He has experienced some network problems of late and thinks it is probably the AP, so he bought a Google router, plugs it into the wired router, and uses it as a wireless AP. The network problems, occasional disconnection and DNS errors, still persist. I am trying to talk him into reducing the network complexity and giving one simple layer of wireless router a try, but I am no expert on this.

Does it have merit? Possibly yes. (It depends very much on whether your friend is into computer networks as a hobby, or whether he's just trying to imitate a setup that he has seen... Having an expensive piano is not the same as knowing how to play it well.)

(Some of the central AP management features seen in UniFi APs actually do end up in home "mesh Wi-Fi" devices such as Google's. However, those remain no different from any other home router as far as routing functionality goes.)

Finally, problems should be investigated. DNS is slow? Find out whether it's actually DNS that is slow, and then find out why DNS is slow. Don't immediately rush trying to replace the router with a louder one.

Anyone wanting to take advantage of these advantages needs to put their ego aside and understand that they are signing up for a higher knowledge and skill commitment vs either an integrated unit, or routermodem + big box home wifi router.

What he (and anyone who is similarly tempted to throw new expensive equipment at a problem and expect it to automatically fix it) should do is attempt to replicate the problem one device at a time. This means starting with eliminating the wifi leg of the connection and testing from a wired device.

The discrete AP unlike most integrated units is generally capable of spectrum analysis so instead of guessing at the best channel, you can scan and see. This is excellent when planning multi-AP buildings like your friend has seen using these.

It can be an improvement, particularly if the wired gateway (a combination of DSL/cable/fiber optic modem + router) (sometimes just called a router) is overworked. "(At least) One processor, one job" can be a good idea if heavy workload is slowing down the gateway.

In this circumstance, unless here's got a lot of wireless traffic his WiFI devices generate, it's hard to imagine the job of managing WiFi access would significantly slow down the gateway, but under some circumstances, it could.

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