Access Point (AP)

Access point (AP)

In a wireless local area network (WLAN), an access point is a station that transmits and receives data (sometimes referred to as a transceiver). An access point connects users to other users within the network an also can serve as the point of interconnection between the WLAN and a fixed wire network. Each access point can serve multiple users within a defined network area; as people move beyond the range of one access point, they are automatically handed over to the next one. A small WLAN may only require a single access point; the number required increases as a function of the number of network users and the physical size of the network.

From: http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/access-point

Wireless access point

In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP) is a networking hardware device that allows a Wi-Fi compliant device to connect to a wired network. The WAP usually connects to a router (viaa wired network) as a stand alone device, but it can also be an integral component of the router itself. A WAP is differentiated from a hotspot, which is the physical location where Wi-Fi access to a WLAN is available.

Introduction

Prior to wireless networks, setting up a computer network in business, home or school often required running many cables through walls and ceilings in order to deliver network access to all of the network-enabled devices in the building. With the creation of the wireless access point, network users are now able to add devices that access the network with few or no cables. A WAP normally connects directly to a wired Ethernet connection and the WAP then provides wireless connection using radio frequency links for other devices to utilize that wired connection. Most WAPs support the connection of multiple wireless devices to one wired connection. Modern WAPs are built to support a standard and receiving data using these radio frequencies. Those standards and the frequencies they use are defined by the IEEE. Most APs use IEEE 802.11 standards.