At 9:00 a.m.: You are conducting a video conference in the office via a laptop. 9:00 pm: You watch the live broadcast on your mobile phone at home. Wait a minute, have you ever wondered what kind of wireless devices work in your unhindered network? Of course, you heard how people around you from time to time talk about the router. What about wireless access points? Is it the same as a router? Absolutely not! Below we will help you distinguish between two different wireless network devices.
What is a wireless router?
A router is a network device that can transmit data wired or wirelessly. As an intelligent device, the router can efficiently direct incoming and outgoing traffic on the network. The traditional router was connected to other devices on the local area network (LAN) via Ethernet cables for a wired network. Over time, wireless routers, which provide convenient installation without wiring, gradually become a favorite in many homes and small offices.
A wireless router refers to a network device that acts as a router by wirelessly connecting devices that support WiFi (such as laptops, smartphones and tablets). For corporate routers, they support IPTV / digital television services and can be used for VoIP. In addition, they also have a firewall and password protection to protect against potential threats outside the local network.
Figure 1: scenario for connecting a wireless router
What is a wireless access point?
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Both wireless access points and wireless routers support Wi-Fi network connections and play a similar role. So there was a confusion. In fact, these two network devices are more like cousins, not twins. The differences between them will be explained below.
Figure 3: AP vs router
Function
Typically, most wireless routers combine the functions of a wireless access point, Ethernet router, basic firewall and a small Ethernet switch. Wireless Access Points
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