Sorry about my english, but from my understanding a WAP is just to provide wifi to computers and devices. But why people say it’s to connect to a wire network? this is something I don’t get
In: Technology
It means the WAP is using a wired connection (like an Ethernet cable) to access the internet instead of relying on Wi-Fi signals.
Router – takes isp signal, gives you network+internet (usually wired and WiFi).
WAP – gives a WiFi signal but needs plugging into your network.
Extender – connects wirelessly to a WiFi, broadcasts it’s own WiFi.
A Wireless Access Point allows your WiFi devices to send network data to the WAP over radio waves, and vice versa.
Your WAP probably doesn’t have anything interesting to say on its own, it’s usually just a conduit through which you can connect to other devices on a computer network, or connect to another network like the internet.
If you just want devices to talk to each other, you can connect them to a standalone WAP the same way you can connect multiple devices to an ethernet switch. But in order for the WAP to connect the devices to another network, you need to connect it to a router and/or modem. A WAP by definition cannot act as a router or modem by itself. Ethernet is the most optimal way to do that, so that’s why WAPs come with ethernet jacks. That’s known as a wired backhaul.
You can theoretically have a WAP that uses wireless backhaul but then you need another wireless device for it to talk to, which in turn connects it to (or is itself) a router or modem. Such devices are sometimes called wireless repeaters or extenders. But one of the main purposes of a WAP is to add wireless connectivity where none exists, so wired backhaul is required.
Latest Answers