Wireless Networking - Router Vs Access Point

While planning for your wireless network you might be asking what is the difference between a router and an access point. You need to think of a router as more of a server because it performs many functions like a server. An access point only provides a portal for wireless client to connect to your existing LAN.

Routers can perform many functions. Routers can connect many different WLANs together acting like a traffic cop. Routers also act as a DHCP server. A DHCP server assigns dynamic IP address to your computer every time your computer starts up. If you don't have a DHCP server then you will have to assign each computer on your network a permanent IP address.

As I have said before your router can also act like a traffic cop. You can use a router to perform port forwarding to certain computers on your LAN. For example you can direct all internet traffic looking for your game server's port number to a specific computer on your LAN.

Wireless Networking - Router Vs Access Point

The ability to connect multiple computers to the internet is one of the main features of a router. The router is assigned one WAN IP address from your ISP. This IP address is called a public IP address that everyone on the internet can see. Because you have multiple computers connected to your router the router uses a protocol called NAT Network address translation NAT will assign the computers that are behind your routers IP address, private IP addresses. NAT acts as a firewall because computers on the internet cannot in theory even see your computers. They will only see the IP address of your router. NAT does block traffic from reaching your computers but it will not block Trojans from going out to the internet. That is why I do recommend installing a firewall on your LAN computers.

The role of an access point on a LAN is to give the wireless user a door way to enter. The more people that enter the door at the same time the slower they will go. 802.11b access points say they will give you a through put rate of 11mps but the actual rate is around 5MPS. 802.11g has a rating of 54mbps with an actual through put of 20mbps. The access points do have most of the same security features as a router such as WEP, WPA, 8021x and TKPI but they will not have the traffic cop functions like a router. Also the access points will not have NAT which would add an unnecessary layer to your network. To keep it simple access points just simulate plugging in your laptop to a port in the wall and that's it.A router is used on the border of you network to act as a traffic cop deciding who can come in and blocking those you want to keep out.

Wireless Networking - Router Vs Access Point
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Eric "The Wireless Ninja" Meyer is an expert in Wireless Networking. You can view other Wireless Networking articles at http://www.wirelessninja.com

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The History of Wireless Networking

The history of wireless networks and of wireless networking goes hand in hand. Without the discovery of technology such as the radio, wireless technology would not exist at all today. The history of wireless networking goes as far back as the 1800's with the advent of radio waves. The advent of more technology grew throughout the years and expanded to what we communicated with today.

In 1888, a Hamburg, Germany born physicist named Heinrich Rudolf Herz produced his first radio wave ever. By 1894 this radio wave production became a way of communication. Telegraph wires were used to receive the radio waves in signal form. Herz opened the way for radio, television, and radar with his discovery of electromagnetic waves. An Italian inventor named Marchese Guglielmo Marconi then expanded the radius of radio wave sending to two miles, becoming the "father of the radio." By 1899, this form of telecommunication could travel pretty far for its time. Marconi could send a signal 9 miles across the Bristol Channel. He eventually expanded the radius to 31 miles across the English Channel to France. By 1901 the communication area became immense. Marconi could send signals across the entire Atlantic Ocean.

World War II became a big stepping stone for the radio wave. The United States was the first party to use radio waves for data transmission during the war. This use of radio waves could have quite possibly won the war for the Americans. The use of radio wave data communication lead to a lot of speculation to whether the radio signals could be expanded into something bigger than it currently was. In 1971, a group of researchers under the lead of Norman Abramson, at the University of Hawaii, created the first "packet-switched" radio communications network entitled "Alohanet." Alohanet was the first wireless local area network, otherwise known as a WLAN. The first WLAN was not much, but it was a large discovery. The Alohanet WLAN was comprised of seven computers that communicated to each other. In 1972, Alohanet connected with the WLAN system Arpanet on the mainland. This length of connect was ground breaking in telecommunications between computers.

The History of Wireless Networking

The first types of WLAN technology used an interface in which became over crowded for communication. Small appliances and industrial machinery caused interference so the technology had to be updated. The second type of WLAN technology to be released ended up being four times faster than its predecessor at 2Mbps per second. We use the third format of WLAN today, though our current WLAN system runs at the same speed as the second system released.

In 1990, the 802.11 Working Group was established to work towards a WLAN standard for all computers to communicate from. In 1997, IEEE 802.11 was accepted as the standard data communication format for wireless local area networks. The technology continues to grow today. Governments and large corporations are constantly looking out for the latest and fastest standard to work from.

The expansion of wireless networking will likely continue for decades to come.

The History of Wireless Networking
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Wireless Network Components - Basics of Any Wireless Network

Client Software and Adapter

Any client computer, laptop or wireless device with a compatible wireless client adapter allows connectivity with an access point. The client adapter is a radio transmitter with firmware that supports any of 802.11a/b/g signaling. That is needed before the device can associate and authenticate with the access point. Some access points have a no client mode that doesn't allow any association from clients extending network distance. Client wireless software included with the adapter must be implemented with specific Windows platforms. The client adapter will be integrated with the laptop, PCMCIA slot or desktop PCI bus slot. They will support specific wireless standards, antenna characteristics, WiFi certification, WDS, network range and security. The wireless manufacturer software must be implemented for all available features. The following is a list of some client adapter configured settings.

Access Point (AP)

Wireless Network Components - Basics of Any Wireless Network

As the name suggests an AP (access point) allows connectivity between the wireless client or wireless device and the wired network. The AP takes wireless data packets from a client and translates them to standard Ethernet data frames before transmitting across the wired network. Standard category 5 twisted pair cabling will connect the AP point Ethernet port with a catalyst switch Ethernet port. The maximum distance between access point and network switch is 100 meters standard with Ethernet design.

WLAN Controllers

Wireless designs with hundreds of root APs on an enterprise network will sometimes deploy wireless LAN controllers. The design specifies lightweight APs connecting to a network switch. The 4404 WLAN controller device acts as a hub connecting 4 network switches supporting 100 access points. Cisco wireless control system (WCS) wireless network management software is sometimes deployed with WLAN controller design for planning, configuring and optimizing the network.

Power Injector

Cisco access points have a variety of power options such as AC adapters, power over Ethernet and power injectors. The placement of APs is such that in some situations an AC power outlet isn't available. Should your Ethernet switch not support power over Ethernet, an option such as power injectors extends the distance from an AC outlet. Distances of 1.24 miles are available with a fiber optic media converter.

Power over Ethernet

Cisco access points can be deployed with power over Ethernet (PoE) should the network switch modules support that feature. The distance of 300 feet is the same with Cisco prestandard and 802.3af. The Cisco prestandard use Cat 5 cabling pins 1, 2, 3, 6 for powering devices while 802.3af uses 1, 2, 3, 6 with 10/100/1000BaseT signaling and 4, 5, 7, 8 with 10/100BaseT. Select a network switch module with the power over Ethernet standard your AP has implemented and has a power wattage rating per port for your specific devices. The network switch power supply should be upgraded to support additional power draw from multiple devices. Deploying power over Ethernet will decrease implementation costs with deployment of IPT, wireless and Gigabit. See network switch documents at Cisco web site for information on what network switching modules support PoE and wattage ratings. 802.3af defines powered device class 2 at 3.84W - 6.49W and class 3 at 6.49W - 12.95W.

Power Patch Panel

Cisco inline power patch panels can be deployed where Ethernet switches don't support power over Ethernet and power injectors aren't an option. The patch panel does no switching. It powers the devices through a Cat 5 cable that is a maximum 300 feet at a specific rated wattage per port. The patch panel connects the access point to the wired switch with a patch cable.

Wireless Network Components - Basics of Any Wireless Network
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Shaun Hummel is the author of Cisco Wireless Network Design Guide and CiscoDesignBooks.com featuring Networking Books, eBooks, Certifications, Design Tools and Articles

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