Difference between a wireless router and a wireless access point?

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RoscoeMcNally

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Feb 9, 2014
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Hi, sorry to bother you with might be a really dumb question..

I was given an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (2011, never opened), and I'm not sure what to do with it...

I assumed it was a wireless router, but while googling it I found out it's a Wireless Access Point. I can't figure out what that means, and I was thinking about swapping out my router for this damn thing, but now I don't even know if they do the same job, let alone if one is better than the other.

So I guess I have two questions:

1. Can I use the Apple Airport Extreme as a wireless router?

B. If yes, should I swap my w8960n TP-link Router for the Apple Airport Extreme?

Thank-you for your help.

Roscoe
 
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To be clear, wireless router is router has routing function. wireless access point is just a wireless switch that has not rouing function. Wireless router works as a gateway and a wireless access point.

Professional vendor of SMB network: http://uttglobal.com/
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Pooneil

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Apr 15, 2013
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Not a dumb question but a good and basic one.

A "router" in consumer parlance is a device that connects a local area network (LAN) to a wide area network provided by your ISP. It will provide DHCP service to assign IP addresses to devices on the LAN and may also provide WiFi access and have a Ethernet switch built in. An access point is there to connect the wired Ethernet LAN to WiFi devices.

The current model of Airport Extreme Base Station is a router. It might help if you provided the model number of the Airport you have so people could tell you more about it. I know very little about them myself. Thinking about the following might put you on track to making your decision.

Does your TP link provide satisfactory WiFi coverage?
Are you looking to extend the coverage?
Are you looking for Airport specific functionality?

There is nothing wrong with using one as a router with WiFi and the other in access point only mode.
 
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Henry Chang

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Feb 13, 2014
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To be clear, wireless router is router has routing function. wireless access point is just a wireless switch that has not rouing function. Wireless router works as a gateway and a wireless access point.

Professional vendor of SMB network: http://uttglobal.com/
 
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MorningDarkstar

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Jun 26, 2008
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If you need a wireless access point, be awfully careful about purchasing a wireless router that claims to be an access point also. A LOT of them do make such a claim. When you try to set up a router such that it's WLAN and LAN IP addresses are the same, many (and I am talking about the big names now) fail to do so properly. I have run into a LOT of issues with these, such as firewall difficulties (turning it completely off for example), accessing the web admin pages, etc when running these routers in their so call access point mode. If you need an access point, buy an access point!

Marc...
 
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bill001g

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Aug 9, 2012
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And why would you do it the hard way. Any router can be a AP. You just don't bother using the WAN port. As long as you disable the DHCP and the LAN address does not conflict there will be no issues.

Pretty much the only time you really want a real AP is when you need PoE is is much more common for a AP to have the option of running on PoE than a router.

 
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Kiers

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Nov 25, 2008
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I'm confused: does this mean an "access point" can ONLY connect one client? how come they advertise sometimes access points serve 10 or more? how can it do that without routing? thanks.
 
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bill001g

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This is a technical definition more than anything else. Go look up what the difference is between a router and a switch, this is a fundamental network concept that there are wiki pages that can do much better than any answer in a forum.
 
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arcangelny

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Feb 12, 2015
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"The ONLY stupid question is the one you didn't ask..."
Sergeant to new recruits in basic training.

Simply point and access point give you access to an existing local network. In most networks it extends the range of the router.
The router will also give you the ability to access additional networks for example:

If your local network is XYZ,
an access point will let you get onto the XYZ network,
When you hit the router, either directly or via the access point, you can access resources on XYZ
AND any other network connected to the router (usually the Internet on your home network)

Usually in a home setup you only need a router to cover you house or apartment, unless you
have a large property to cover.

In a corporate environment, it is common to encounter access points that service a particular area.
The access point will then be cabled via Ethernet to the datacenter. There area also Range Extenders
which are all wireless and placed in between the data center and the computers they service to increase the
distance that can be covered.

In the "good old days" when home routers without wireless capabilities were more common, you could wire an access
point to add wireless to your network.

Today wireless is a standard feature on home routers.

Hope this helps!


 
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Kiers

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you are spot on. @bill001g prompted me to go check out the OSI model. Access points are at "Level 2", the next-to-lowest level on the tree. They are more properly called "Bridges". Addresses can be understood in two modes: a palpable physical hardware address, and a "virtual" address. APs, like @arcangelny mentions, ONLY read the outermost address on a packet, the physical h/w address. That is because they ONLY connect to h/w devices physically connected within their h/w proximity, ie. a "LAN". ("Virtual addresses" are more global and need specialized equipment called "routers" or "switches" to send the data further and further away to more distant h/w which the local LAN may not even know exists.) Thus it is not true that APs don't do any address resolution, they do, but only to accept or reject. Also it is not true that multiple clients can't connect to ONE AP, they can (just like multiple computers connect to one LAN cable). Also, APs or Bridges, foward ALL packets that are broadcast. In keeping with an access points limited OSI scope, access points or bridges do NOT take direct connections to WANS or "the internet". all they have are "local" ethernet jacks.
 
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