Get rid of the fetters of cable, holding the cup of coffee at home in any corner can be unrestrained and chatting with friends ─ ─ This is the wireless charm! In the rapid development of today's wireless networks, wireless local area network (Wireless Local-Area Network, referred to as WLAN ) have become the life of many SOHO home network of choice. Although the popularity of fast wireless networks, wireless networks, after all, was a new thing, many users there are many products on the wireless network confused.
Today we feature, application, network and cost as we distinguish between four aspects of the wireless router and wireless AP.
Current wireless AP can be divided into two categories: simple-type AP and the extended AP.
Of simple functions of AP relative to simple lack of routing functions, only very wireless hub; for such a wireless AP, have not found the product can interconnect!! The extended AP is a wireless router on the market, due to It features a more comprehensive, not only has most of the extended AP routing switching function also DHCP, network firewall and other functions.
Now the market is extended most of the wireless AP AP, the AP is extended, within a short distance, they can be interconnected phase; if you need to transfer to the distance between, you need a special antenna and wireless bridge and other equipment!! In fact, the wireless bridge is a wireless AP.
First, from the functional distinction between
Wireless AP: AP Access Point for the short, generally translated as "Access Point", which is to provide wireless stations on the wired LAN and wired LAN for wireless workstations from a visit to the access point within range of wireless stations can it to 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 spread out, therefore, should be placed as far as possible the wireless AP in the center of the wireless network and the wireless client and wireless AP away from the best straight line no more than 30 meters avoid excessive communication signal attenuation caused by communication failure.
Wireless Router: Wireless AP Router is a simple type and a combination of broadband routers; it by means of router functionality, enabling home wireless network Internet connection sharing, ADSL and communities to achieve shared wireless broadband access, another wireless router can, through its wireless and wired connection terminals are assigned to a subnet, this subnet to exchange data in a variety of equipment is very convenient.
Can say:
Wireless router is the AP, routing and switch aggregation, composed of the same subnet to support wired and wireless, direct connect to MODEM.
Wireless AP is equivalent to a wireless switch, connected to the wired switch or router, wireless network card to connect to it is saying there share from the router IP.
Distinguished from the application
Independent of the AP in AP who need to carry out a large number of companies that use a large area covering more than all the AP connected via Ethernet and wireless local area network connected to a separate firewall.
Wireless router to use in SOHO environments than more, in this environment, an AP is sufficient. In this case, integrated broadband access router and the AP provides a wireless router on a single machine solution of 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 network connections - 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 targeting a broadband connection. Finally, most wireless routers include a four-port Ethernet switch, you can connect several units wired PC. This 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:
Topology using the above framework, AP and wireless routing usage is the same. However, most wireless routers with broadband as the ability to dial, so you can connect directly with the ADSL MODEM for broadband sharing:
Come from the cost of the final
802.11B wireless AP and wireless router almost the same price, the general wireless router to your 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 several hundred dollars gap, but the difference is less expensive products more than 100 yuan.
Conclusion:
Now you know you need a wireless AP, or wireless router has it!