Get rid of the fetters of the cable, holding a cup of coffee at home in any corner of the users can chat freely and the wireless ─ ─ This is the charm! Rapid development in today's wireless networks, wireless local area network (Wireless Local-Area Network, referred to as WLAN) has been living for many SOHO home network of choice.Although the popularity of fast wireless networks, wireless networks, after all, was a new thing, a lot of friends there are many products on the wireless network confused.
Today we features, applications, networking and cost for everyone to distinguish between four aspects of the wireless router and wireless AP.
Current wireless AP can be divided into two categories: simple type AP and extended AP.
AP's function is relatively simple type to simple lack of routing, wireless hub can only be fairly; for such wireless AP, have not found the product can be interconnected!! The extended AP is a wireless router on the market, due toIt features a more comprehensive, most of the extended AP only has routing and switching features include DHCP, network firewall and other functions.
Wireless AP on the market today are mostly of the extended AP, the AP is extended, they can be within a short distance relative to the interconnection; if you need to transfer the further away, you need a special antenna, wireless bridge andand other equipment!! In fact, wireless bridge is a wireless AP.
First, from the functional distinction between
Wireless AP: AP is called Access Point, normally translated as "wireless access point", which is to provide wired LAN and wireless stations on the wireless station from the wired LAN access, the access point within range of wireless stations canIt communicate with each other.Popular speaking, the wireless AP is a wireless network and a bridge between the wired network.As the coverage of the wireless AP is a circular area spreads out, so the wireless AP should be placed as far as possible the center of the wireless network and the wireless client and wireless AP's straight-line distance should not exceed 30 meters, toavoid excessive communication signal attenuation caused by communication failure.
Wireless Router: Wireless router is a simple type of AP and the broadband router, a combination of the body; it by means of router functions, enabling home wireless network Internet connection sharing, ADSL and wireless sharing of residential broadband access, addition, wireless routercan be carried out through its wireless and wired connection terminals are assigned to a subnet, subnet such a variety of devices to exchange data very convenient.
It can be said:
Wireless router is the AP, the aggregation of routing and switches support the same subnet as wired and wireless components, directly connected to the MODEM.
Wireless AP is equivalent to a wireless switch, connected to the wired switch or router connected to it is saying where the share of the wireless network card from the router IP.
Distinguished from the application
Independent of the AP in the AP for those who need a lot of companies use a large area covering more than all the AP connected via Ethernet and connected to a separate wireless LAN firewall.
Wireless router in the SOHO environment, used most often, in this environment, an AP is sufficient.In this case, integrated broadband access router and a wireless AP router provides a single machine solution, two separate machine than the program easier to manage and cheaper.Wireless routers generally include a network address translation (NAT) protocol to support wireless LAN users to share a network connection - this is a good SOHO environment with a feature.
They may also have a basic firewall or packet filter to prevent port scanning software and other attacks against the broadband connection.Finally, most wireless routers include a four-port Ethernet switch, you can connect a few wired PC.This is for the management of the router or to a printer connected to the LAN is very convenient.
Then analyzed from the network topology
AP can not be directly connected with the ADSL MODEM, it must be used to add a switch or hub:
When using the above topologies, AP and wireless usage is the same route.However, most wireless routers with broadband as the ability to dial, so you can connect directly with the ADSL MODEM for broadband sharing:
Finally, up from the cost analysis
802.11B wireless router, wireless AP and almost the same price, the general will of your wireless router 100 yuan; 802.11G will depend on the specific circumstances, according to the different brands and additional features will be the difference in price, ranging from a few hundred dollarsgap, but the difference is less expensive product than 100 yuan.
Conclusion:
Now you know you need a wireless AP, or wireless router it!