What is the difference between an access point AP and a router?

Router ACAP is a networking solution for large houses or villas, the purpose of which is to keep every corner of the home well connected, and it is a WLAN system. AC puts wireless LAN.

The access control device is responsible for aggregating data from different APs and connecting them to the Internet, and at the same time completing the configuration management and broadband access functions of AP devices. Wireless access point AP is the hub of the traditional wired network, and it is also the most commonly used device to build a small wireless LAN.

The role of APAP is equivalent to a bridge connecting wired and wireless networks, and its main role is to connect various wireless networks.

Clients connect together and then connect the wireless network to Ethernet.

So as to achieve the purpose of wireless network coverage. The controllable wireless AP used to centralize the control of the LAN is the core of a wireless network, which is responsible for managing all wireless APs in the wireless network, and the AP management includes: issuing the information configuration, modifying the relevant configuration parameters, RF intelligent management, access security control, etc.

A wireless access point is an access point for a wireless network, commonly known as a "hotspot". In this mode, a wireless router is equivalent to a wireless switch.

The AP mode is equivalent to a "wireless switch" and can convert a wired network into a wireless network. In a home, hotel, or small business network environment, if the original network can only have wired Internet access, the 3G Mini router can provide wireless network coverage in AP mode.

Wireless access points mainly include routing and switching access integrated equipment and pure access point equipment, the integrated equipment performs access and routing work, the pure access equipment is only responsible for the access of wireless clients, and the pure access equipment is usually used as a wireless network extension to connect with other APs or main APs to expand wireless coverage, and the integrated equipment is generally the core of the wireless network.

AP (access point) panels and routers are two different network devices, each with different functions and purposes, so it is not easy to say which one is better, but to choose according to the specific inclusion requirements and usage scenarios.

An AP (access point) panel is a device used to extend the coverage of a wireless network, usually wired to an existing network router or switch, and extend the network coverage through a wireless signal, so that the wireless device can better accommodate the connection to the network. AP panels are usually used in places with large coverage, such as corporate office buildings, hotels, schools, etc., and their main function is to provide wireless network access, and is not responsible for network routing and management.

A router is a device used to connect multiple networks, usually with wired and wireless interfaces, and is responsible for communicating between networks by sending packets** from different networks to the correct destination. Routers are typically used in homes, small offices, or small networks, and their main functions include network connectivity, IP address allocation, firewalls, ports**, and more.

The role of the router in the network connection

Network connectivity: Routers are used to connect different networks, such as the network that connects your home internal network to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or the internal network of a business to the external Internet.

IP address allocation: The router is responsible for assigning IP addresses in the internal network so that devices in the network can communicate normally. Typically, routers use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) to automatically assign IP addresses to devices in the internal network, simplifying network management and configuration.

Routing: The router transmits data packets from the internal network to the target network or target device based on the destination IP address and routing table through the routing function, so as to realize data transmission between different networks. This enables different subnets or different LANs in the network to communicate with each other.

Firewalls: Routers often have firewall functions to protect the internal network from unauthorized access or malicious attacks from external networks. Firewalls can enhance the security of the network by configuring access control lists (ACLs) or application-layer gateways (ALGs) to inspect and filter data traffic in and out of the router.

1. Different names: AP is written by the first letter of the English Access Point, which translates to "wireless access point" or "wireless access point". To put it simply, a wireless AP is a bridge between a wireless network and a wired network.

The wireless router is a collection of AP, routing function and hub, which supports wired and wireless to form the same subnet, directly connected to the upper-layer switch or ADSL modem, etc., and most wireless routers support PPOE dial-up function.

2. Different appearance: Compared with wireless AP, the router has four more wired network troubles than AP in appearance, and the four LAN ports can be used to connect to computers with wired network cards in the intranet, and the corresponding indicators are also more.

3. The bridge should be used in different environments: wireless APs are used in large companies, while wireless routers are generally used in home and SOHO environment networks, and the coverage area and users are generally not large.

4. Different connection methods: Wireless APs cannot be connected to ADSLMODE, and a switch, hub, or router should be used as an intermediary. The wireless router has a broadband dial-up function, which can be directly connected to ADSLMODEM to dial-up the Internet to achieve wireless coverage.

Different concepts: First of all, the concept is different, wherein, AP is an access point of a wireless network, commonly known as a "hotspot", which can only be connected to the local area network, and has no Internet function, but only an intranet connection function. It is connected to other network devices through wired spikes, and then it transmits wireless signals by itself, so that other computers can access other networks through it, and the maximum coverage distance of general wireless AP can reach 500 meters.

A router is a router with wireless coverage that is used for users to surf the Internet. The wireless router can be regarded as a device, which can connect the broadband network signal from the wall of the home to the nearby wireless network equipment through the antenna, which can be connected to the Internet and the local area network.

Different functions: AP is the bridge of communication between the wireless network and the wired network, because the coverage of the wireless AP spreads in the circular area, so the wireless AP should be placed in the center of the wireless network as much as possible, so that the wireless client is within the signal radiation range of the wireless AP, it is equivalent to a wireless switch. The router is a combination of simple AP and broadband router, which can realize the sharing of Internet connection in the home wireless network, realize the wireless sharing access of ADSL and cell broadband, and also realize the wireless LAN to facilitate data exchange.

Different applications: APs are used in many places that require large-area coverage, such as hotels, office buildings, banquet halls, etc., and all APs are connected to independent wireless LAN firewalls through Ethernet. Wireless routers are used more in a small area of home coverage, and in the case of a small range and several users, wireless routing is easier to manage and cheaper.

The connection mode is different: APs cannot be directly connected to ADSL modem, and a switch or route server must be added when using it. However, most wireless routers have broadband dial-up capabilities, so they can directly connect with ADSL modem for broadband sharing.

The cost is different: there is still a difference between AP and wireless router, generally speaking, the number of routers needed for wireless coverage in a large area is much more than that of AP, that is, the router has more equipment when forming a wireless LAN, which is not easy to maintain. Therefore, a lot of large-area coverage uses high-power wireless APs.