We can name different devices that allow us to surf the Internet. Without a doubt the main one is the router. It is the device that we all have in our home and that allows us to connect other equipment to it to navigate. But there are also access points, amplifiers, PLC devices… In this article we are going to talk about the differences between a router and an access point.
Differences between a router and an access point
Both a router and an access point allow us to connect to the Internet. We simply have to take our mobile, computer or whatever device we have and connect to that Wi-Fi network provided by these devices. Now, there are differences between the two. We are going to see in detail what each one is and how it works.
What is a router
The router is the most common device. It is the device that we have connected directly to the network and that comes to us when hiring Internet at home, although later we can change it for another of our liking.
What it does is route the incoming signal to be able to offer traffic to those devices that we are going to connect. We can achieve it by cable or also wirelessly, something that is increasingly common due to the rise of mobile devices and mainly the Internet of Things.
This device receives information that it stores and subsequently sends the network packets through the most suitable route. It does this by storing those packets it receives and processing them.
It must be taken into account that a router has such important functions as assigning IP addresses, routing data packets as we have mentioned, being able to limit the connection of a certain device, configure networks …
What is an access point
On the other hand we have Wi-Fi access points . It should be noted that they are different from a router, although ultimately they also allow us to connect devices wirelessly and have a connection to the network.
An access point can be said to be a device that creates a wireless local network to which we connect. They are usually present in shopping centers, large offices and surfaces that need to offer different places for users to connect.
The access point has previously been connected to the router, either via Ethernet cable or via Wi-Fi. This is how it manages to obtain a network to later allow other devices to connect.
The objective therefore is to project that signal that it receives. That is, let’s say we are in a large office where there is a router in a room. This device is only capable of connecting equipment within its area. However, there may be an installation using LAN cables to connect different access points in other rooms of that large office. So users can connect wirelessly without problem from other places.
The main difference is that this access point does not connect directly to the network, but rather to the router to later distribute the connection to other devices that can connect, either wirelessly or via cable as well.
Why it is interesting to use access points
As we have seen, they are very useful to achieve wireless connection in certain places. We already know that having a good Wi-Fi network has become vital today. We have more and more devices with a wireless connection available and we need them to work well.
Expand the network
One of the main advantages of using an access point is that we can expand the available wireless network . We will be able to connect with other devices and from more places than if we simply have a router.
Therefore one of those main uses is to extend the availability of the wireless network. We must also bear in mind that we can install several access points.
Create a captive portal
An access point can also create a captive portal . This is used to access that network, have a record of who can or cannot enter, the number of users at that time, etc. We can protect it with a password, logically, and thus we achieve that only authorized users are connected.
Allow connecting equipment by cable
In addition to what we mentioned, an access point not only allows you to connect computers via Wi-Fi, but it will also allow us to connect other devices via LAN cable . This is useful if we are going to install a machine in a company that needs a network connection, for example.
Decongest the network
It also allows to decongest a network . At the end of the day we will be able to connect equipment in each access point that we have, instead of all connected to it. This avoids problems in areas with many crowds.
In short, as we see a router is different from an access point. We have also shown some interesting uses that we can give to the latter.