Network access points

Access point is a device which works at Data link layer in networking. An Access point in networking, receive and transmit the data packets between different end devices. Access point inspect the header section of the received packet to check the destination IP address and MAC address then forward accordingly. Access point can connect the computers via Wi-Fi channel, Fast Ethernet port and optic fibre port. Switch works on its operating software which store the MAC address of devices connected with the various interfaces of Access point.

Network Access Point (NAP)

Definition of Network Access Point (NAP) in The Network Encyclopedia.

NAP stands for Network Access Point is a point at which sections of the Internet’s high-speed backbone are connected. Internet service providers (ISPs) are connected at Network Access Points (NAPs) so that they can exchange packets.

Network Access Point (NAP)

The backbone of the Internet actually consists of sections of high-speed fiber-optic cabling that are owned by different carriers (including AT&T, Sprint, and MCI WorldCom). NAPs are places at which these carriers interconnect their lines so that the Internet can function as a single entity. NAPs contain high-speed switching facilities for transferring traffic from one carrier’s lines to another’s.

The National Science Foundation originally established four different NAPs in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., but with the growth of the Internet and the changing landscape of telecommunication carrier companies, more NAPs have been created. These include “MAE West” in San Jose and “MAE East” in Washington, D.C., both of which are operated by MCI WorldCom.

To lessen the traffic burden on the Internet’s backbone, major ISPs can connect their services directly to a NAP in the form of a “peering arrangement,” whereby traffic that needs to move between two ISPs connected to the same NAP can move directly from one ISP to the other instead of having to traverse the Internet’s backbone.

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  What are the router modes?

  First of all you need to understand the concepts. Your router has a total of four different modes:

  Access Point.

  In Access Point mode, or "Access Point" as foreigners call it, the router acts as a device that converts a cable signal into a wireless signal. The main difference between a router in access point mode and another network device, which is actually called "access point", is that it not only distributes WiFi, that is, turns the wired Internet into a radio signal, but also has the functionality to distribute IP addresses and port forwarding, which is the main function of the router.

  

  Modem mode (ADSL Modem)

  In pure video, the modem is a device that is designed to work with providers who provide access to the World Wide Web via a telephone cable using ADSL technology. And for nothing else – the modem itself in router mode or just can not work. But a router in the router mode with ADSL support can not only get the Internet via telephone cable, but also retransmit it wirelessly and assign IP to other clients.

  

  Repeater

  Generally speaking, a "repeater" is a wireless signal extender or repeater that extends the signal from a wifi hotspot by some distance to connect computers that are in an area of uncertain reception to the Internet. If our favorite wifi router has repeater mode, it means it can do the same thing – extend the wireless signal, thereby extending the reception area. In addition, repeater mode is useful if you need to bypass some obstacle when creating a wireless bridge, when there is no line of sight between the two access points. Then we put the router in repeater mode within line of sight of both access points and transmit the signal through it.

  Repeater Mode

  (Repeater Mode – By operating in wireless repeater mode, the access point extends the range of the wireless network by repeating the signal of the remote access point. For the access point to act as a wireless range extender for another access point, you must specify the Ethernet MAC address of the remote access point in its configuration. In this mode, wireless clients can exchange data with the access point. Usually works only with access points built on the same chip.

  

  What is a Range Extender?

  A range extender is a device that extends the range of an existing wireless network.

  Range extenders are used to extend the reach of a WiFi signal into areas where it is weak or nonexistent.

  They are often used in large homes or offices where the main router cannot reach all corners of the building.

  Range extenders are also useful for extending the reach of a WiFi signal into an outdoor area, such as a patio or deck.

  Since range extenders connect wirelessly to Wi-Fi routers, they must be placed where the Wi-Fi router's signal is already strong. This will ensure that the range extender can pick up the signal and extend it to the desired area.

  What’s the Difference Between a Range Extender and an Access Point?

  The main difference between a range extender and an access point is that an access point requires a wired connection to the router while a range extender does not.

  A range extender repeats the wireless signal from your router to expand its reach by creating a second network, while an access point relies on a hardwired connection to your network, rather than simply repeating the existing network.

  What is a Router?

  A router is a device that connects two or more networks. Routers can connect wired and wireless networks.

  They are often used in homes and small businesses to connect the local network to the internet.

  Routers can also be used to create a private network, such as a home network or an office network.

  What are the Differences Between an Access Point and a Router?

  The main difference between an access point and a router is that an access point does not have a dedicated network, while a router does.

  An access point connects devices to an existing network, while a router creates a new network.

  An access point also requires a wired connection to the router.

  Cisco WLC Models

  There are different types of Wireless LAN Controllers in Cisco. Some of these Cisco WLC Models are retired and not supported any more. Some of them are neww technology. Here, we will talk about a new WLC Series. They are Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers.

  Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers more reliable and more secure WLCs. They use IOS-XE as an operatins system. Ther are different WLC models in this series for different needs. These Models are given below:

  Beside, there are embedded versions that are for Access Points and Switches:

  Access point in networking explained

  An access point is a hub which allow multiple devices to connect with each other. The network may be intranet or internet. An access point can be used as extender to increase the network connectivity beyond the wired connection. According to the functionality the access points can be divided into three types standalone, multifunction and controlled access point. Standalone access point allow the devices to connect with it like a standard networking switch. The multifunction access point can provide multiple services like routing, switching and wireless connectivity. The controlled access point is a client device of wireless LAN controller. Let’s discuss about these three types of access points in detail.

  Standalone access point provides simple connectivity to devices for data transfer between them. Standalone access point mostly used within LAN only. When there is no access to internet or any other network, standalone access point mostly used. Basically standalone access point is like a layer 2 switch which receive and transmit the frame packets. It works on MAC address of connected devices. The concept is very similar to the layer 2 switch, it learn and update the MAC address table in it. On the basis of these MAC and IP table the data packets forwarded to the destination devices.

  

  The standalone access point works on the IEEE 802.11 standard. It works on radio signal of 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz frequency. The mode of operation is fully duplex. It means it can receive and transmit the data packets simultaneously. The network administrator can bind the MAC address with the device for security reason. It means only those devices can connect with it whose MAC address is saved in its memory.

  Multifunction Access Points in networking

  Multifunction Access points provide multiple facilities from a single wireless device. The multiple functions may be routing, switching and two different networks connectivity. The multifunction access point can provide the internet access to all devices or some limited devices. It can provide the connectivity of a common printer to all devices in the network. Two different network can be accessed from these type of devices.

  

  Multifunction access points are the combination of router, ordinary switch and a router. Router connect the local LAN with WAN or internet. The wireless access provide the connectivity to the devices on Wi-Fi. The switch connects the device with wired connection Ethernet ports. Router works like a gateway to internet for all the connected devices. So the multifunction access point provides different services to the connected devices.

  What is an Access Point?

  An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, or WLAN, usually in an office or large building. An access point connects to a wired router, switch, or hub via an Ethernet cable, and projects a Wi-Fi signal to a designated area. For example, if you want to enable Wi-Fi access in your company's reception area but don’t have a router within range, you can install an access point near the front desk and run an Ethernet cable through the ceiling back to the server room.

  As its name implies, a range extender lengthens the reach of an existing Wi-Fi network. Since range extenders connect wirelessly to Wi-Fi routers, they must be placed where the Wi-Fi router's signal is already strong, not in the location of the actual dead spot. For instance, if your router is in the basement of a two-story building, installing a range extenderon the ground floor (where coverage from the Wi-Fi router is still strong) will eliminate potential dead zones on the second floor.

  Why Access Points Are Better for Businesses

  While range extenders are great for home Wi-Fi networks, they’re not efficient for modern businesses. This is because they can only support a limited number of devices at one time, usually no more than 20. While range extenders do increase the coverage of a Wi-Fi router, they do not increase its available bandwidth. Depending on the number of devices you have connected simultaneously, a range extender could end up weighing down your connection.

  Access points, on the other hand, can handle over 60 simultaneous connections each. By installing access points throughout the office, users can roam freely from room to room without experiencing network interruptions. As they move through the building, their devices shift seamlessly from one access point to the next without dropping the connection—they won’t even realize they’re switching between networks.

  Access points, on the other hand, can handle over 60 simultaneous connections each. By installing access points throughout the office, users can roam freely from room to room without experiencing network interruptions. As they move through the building, their devices shift seamlessly from one access point to the next without dropping the connection—they won’t even realize they’re switching between networks.

  What is an Access Point?

  An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, or WLAN, usually in an office or large building. An access point connects to a wired router, switch, or hub via an Ethernet cable, and projects a WiFi signal to a designated area. For example, if you want to enable WiFi access in your company's reception area but don’t have a router within range, you can install an access point near the front desk and run an Ethernet cable through the ceiling back to the server room.

  As its name implies, a range extender lengthens the reach of an existing WiFi network. Since range extenders connect wirelessly to WiFi routers, they must be placed where the WiFi router's signal is already strong, not in the location of the actual dead spot. For instance, if your router is in the basement of a two-story building, installing a range extender on the ground floor (where coverage from the WiFi router is still strong) will eliminate potential dead zones on the second floor.

  Why Access Points Are Better for Businesses

  While range extenders are great for home WiFi networks, they’re not efficient for modern businesses. This is because they can only support a limited number of devices at one time, usually no more than 20. While range extenders do increase the coverage of a WiFi router, they do not increase its available bandwidth. Depending on the number of devices you have connected simultaneously, a range extender could end up weighing down your connection.

  Access points, on the other hand, can handle over 60 simultaneous connections each. By installing access points throughout the office, users can roam freely from room to room without experiencing network interruptions. As they move through the building, their devices shift seamlessly from one access point to the next without dropping the connection—they won’t even realize they’re switching between networks.

  Advantages of Using Wireless Access Points

  There are a lot of advantages of using access points aside from bringing a group of users together in a network. If you’re an organization, you probably have dozens of employees who need to connect to the wireless network through smartphones, desktops, tablets, laptops, and similar devices. An access point gives you the flexibility of supporting all these devices on the network, without affecting the security.

  • Access points come with a clustering feature that allows a single administrator to manage, view, configure, restrict, and secure a Wifi network from a central server. This requires just a single configuration and is not dependent on the number of devices on the network.
  • Access points support the Captive Portal and Access Control List. This can be used to limit guest access to the network as well as manage users within the Wifi network without compromising the safety of the network.

  Access Point vs Router

  Most people don’t bother to ask for the difference between a router and a wireless access point. Whereas, understanding the distinctness of these two devices can make a huge difference in whether or not your network will work at all.

  A router is a networking device that routes packet data. It’s intended to take the data coming in one port/connection and project it to other devices connected to the network. For example, a router can perform network address translation function. This allows multiple computers to share a single internet IP address. Older routers don’t have anything to do with wireless networking, however, newer versions now have this capability built into them.

  An access point, on the other hand, provides wireless access to wireless devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets on the network. Since wireless networking is the domain of WAPs, they are connected to routers so that they can perform wireless action on the data in transmission. They function much like a hub in that it doesn’t regard the data that crosses it. Rather, it simply forwards information that comes in one wired or wireless portal to another wired or wireless portal. In this case, a WAP cannot be referred to as a “router” since it does not perform the function of one.

  Where the confusion may arise is where a router functions as a wireless access point. Some manufacturers will put this function into the router so it’s now described as a wireless router. But if you have one of this device and you want to extend your network, you don’t want to add another router. Since you have one already, adding another one can cause interference in the network. That is where a wireless access point comes in. It points to your existing router using a cable, thus expanding your network capabilities.

  Controlled Access Point

  A controlled access point works as the client of the Wireless LAN Controller (WLC). Technically a controlled access point is known as the Lightweight Access Point (LWAP). LWAP doesn’t take any forwarding decision. Upon receiving a frame from the connected device, instead of forwarding it to the destination device, it forwards that frame to the WLC. The WLC, based on the security configuration, makes decision whether the received frame should be forwarded or discarded. If the frame needs to be forwarded, then it sends that frame to that LWAP, to which the destination device is connected. Then that LWAP sends this frame to the destination device.

  The WLC – LWAP setup is usually used in the company environment to span a single wireless network in large geographical area. This setup allows users to roam around the office premise, campus or building and stay connected to the network.

  In this setup, it doesn’t make any difference which LWAP a user uses to send and receive the frames as long as that LWAP is controlled by the same WLC. Since all forwarding decisions are taken by the WLC, an LWAP does not allow direct communication between the two devices, even if they both are connected with it.

  

  Key points

  • Access point connects multiple wireless devices together in a single wireless network.
  • Access point supports both type of standards; Ethernet and Wi-Fi.
  • Access point uses radio signals to provide the connectivity.
  • Based on functionality an access point can be categorized in three types; standalone, multifunction and client.
  • A standalone access point works in the wireless network exactly as the switch works in the wired network.
  • To control the unauthorized access, Access point uses authorization.
  • To extend the coverage area, multiple access points are used together under a Wireless LAN Controller.
  • An access point which works under the WLC is known as the LWAP (Lightweight Access Point).
  • In WLC-LWAPs setup, the WLC controls and manages all LWAPs.
  • A LWAP works as the bridge between the WLC and the end device.

  That’s all for this tutorial. If you like this tutorial, please don’t forget the share it friends through your favorite social network.

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