Today, mankind is gifted with a lot of devices which are the result of rapid advancements in technology. You can see wonderful devices and appliances on the market today which work beyond your expectations. Since there are too many devices, regular consumers can easily get confused by looking at them.
It is not easy to choose the right device for your needs given thousands of choices. A most common confusion that you can see around is, people usually get confused between router and wireless access point.
There is a fundamental and simple difference that exists between these two gadgets. But there are also minor but quite important distinctions that you need to understand.
An access point can be understood as a wireless network device. This takes the role of the portal device for connecting a local area network. If you are in search of a device for extending the wireless coverage, then the wireless access point is the right choice.
Through this, you can enhance the coverage of an existing network and that leads to an increase in the number of users who can connect to the same network. There should be a high-speed Ethernet cable present for the connecting router and access point. Here, the access point is the device that transforms the existing wired signal into a wireless signal.
The router always plays the role of the hub and that is behind setting up the local area network. The router is the device behind managing all the devices and entire communication.
The wireless access point can be considered as a sub-device in the same local area network. This can be understood as one more location provided for the devices to get connected and be on the network.
Top 10 Best Wireless Access Points In 2021
Image | Name | Data Transfer Speed | Price | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Linksys AC1200 Wireless Access Point for Business | 1.17 Gbps | $$$ | |
 | COMFAST AC1200 High Power Outdoor Wireless Access Point | 300Mbps | $$ | |
 | Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point | 450 Mbps | $$$ | |
 | NETGEAR AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Access Point (WAC104) | 867Mbps | $ | |
 | TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point | 300Mbps | $ | |
 | MikroTik RB941-2nD RouterBoard hAP lite 2.4GHz home Access Point lite | 300 Mbps | $ | |
 | TP-Link Omada AC1350 Wireless Access Point | 867Mbps | $$ | |
 | TP-Link AC1750 Wireless Wi-Fi Access Point | 1300Mbps | $$ | |
 | EnGenius Technologies 11ac Wave 2 Indoor Wireless Access Point | 867 Mbps | $$ | |
 | Netgear WAC510PA-100NAS Insight Remote Managed Wireless Access Point | 1.2 Gbps | $$$ |
1. Linksys AC1200 Wireless Access Point for Business - Best overall
This wireless access point comes with a cloud manager. This is the reason you can easily manage your network from any point.
Remote access makes it easy for you to handle everything on your network. The dashboard is browser-based and it is easy to use and centralized as well.
It offers the best performance when it comes to data transfer at the highest speed. This wireless access point offers the highest security through business-class security measures.
Hence there is nothing to worry about data security.
Zero-touch provisioning allows quick deployment. This is one of the best choices which offers you cloud connectivity and business-level security.
Features:
Pros
Cons
2. COMFAST AC1200 High Power Outdoor Wireless Access Point - Runner up
This wireless access point offers high transmission power and supports 802.11 ac Wi-Fi standards which are latest and faster compared to Wireless-N.
Stable performance is ensured through dual Qualcomm chips. Since it features 360-degree network coverage, it offers a stable and best wireless range.
This is the best device for extending Wi-Fi to the outhouse, pool, garden, and backyard. This device also offers many operating modes.
This device is temperature resistant and antioxidant as well.
It can perform better even in harsh outdoor conditions. It is lightening protected and waterproof. This device also features antifreeze and dustproof protection. Installation and configuration are very easy.
Features:
Pros
Cons
3. Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point
Through this wireless access point, you can easily manage the entire network system through a single point of control.
This is one of the simple wireless access points which offers robust and intuitive configuration. It is very easy to control and monitor. This device also offers a remote firmware upgrade.
This can be utilized by users as well as guests. It features three dual-band antennas and hotspot support. 9 W is the highest power consumption. This device also features auto-sensing.
This is the right wireless access point if you are in search of the best technology within an affordable range and a compact device.
Features:
4. NETGEAR AC1200 Dual Band Wireless Access Point (WAC104)
This wireless access point can offer a speed of 1.2 Gbps through fast dual-band 802.11 ac. The far-reaching and superior signal is provided through factory-tuned antennas.
Highly flexible wireless configuration and advanced security are provided in this wireless access point.
There are majorly two WDS wireless bridge modes one is the point to point and the other is a point to multipoint.
This device supports improved performance by working with N300 and N150. Through WPS or wireless protected system button you can easily set up this device. Client connectivity can be offered in just one touch.
There are 4 built-in Gigabit Ethernet ports. You can connect any wired devices along with PC and laptops. This is one of the devices that you should try for the wireless network if you are searching for a high-speed connection with dual-band and highest coverage range.
Features:
5. TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point
This wireless access point offers a wireless transmission rate of 400 Mbps. Though this device you can definitely experience smooth wireless experience.
There are plenty of operating modes like Wireless Bridge, WDS repeater, universal repeater, client, and access point.
Just by the QSS button in this device, you can easily set up a secure connection which is WPA encrypted.
You can ensure flexible deployment using this wireless access point since it offers a range of 100 feet power over Ethernet.
The connectivity technology used for this device is wireless and you can expect wireless compatibility with 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b.
Features:
6. MikroTik RB941-2nD RouterBoard hAP lite 2.4GHz Home Access Point lite
This is the best wireless access point for your house, office, and even for an apartment. It features WPS which is button triggered and there is no need to struggle with complicated passwords.
Easy to access and establish wireless internet access. It is easy to change the CAP mode and you can switch to CAPsMAN which is centrally managed through pushing a button.
This device also runs RouterOS and it features a firewall, bandwidth shaping, and even user access control.
This device comes with a very powerful CPU that is 650MHz with dual chain 2.4 GHz, onboard wireless and 32MB RAM. This wireless access point has Router L4 License and high-speed Ethernet ports. Another thing which you will like in this device is USB power.
Features:
7. TP-Link Omada AC1350 Wireless Access Point
This wires access point device comes with the best feature and that is a business-level access point.
This is best suitable for setting up a wireless connection in restaurants, hotels, warehouses, and homes. It offers features like beam-forming as well as band-steering for delivering the best performance.
Deployment of this device is highly flexible and effortless since it supports passive PoE and it is compatible with 802.3af. You can easily manage plenty of EAPs since this device features free EAP controller software.
Guest authentication is highly convenient through the Captive portal. Enhanced and easy network management is provided through management VLAN.
Features:
8. TP-Link AC1750 Wireless Wi-Fi Access Point
This wireless access point is designed for Windows systems and it is compatible with all the latest Windows versions.
You can easily monitor and manage hundreds of EAPs just in ease since this wireless access point device comes with Auranet Controller Software.
The best part is, you will be controlling all the EAPs just a single point. It can be powered using POE plus switch, and even using an external power supply.
Highly affordable and convenient installation is offered since it supports Power over Ethernet 802.3af.
Since this wireless access point offers automatic band steering, it is convenient to move the dual-band devices into wider and powerful 5GHz bands and these results in faster connections.
This device offers highly efficient guest authentication. It is through the captive portal this wireless access point offers convenient and easy guest authentication.
Features:
9. EnGenius Technologies 11ac Wave 2 Indoor Wireless Access Point (EAP1300)
This wireless access point offers a speed of 867 Mbps o 400 Mbps. Throughout 11AC waves, it can perform 30 percent faster.
The best part about this wireless access point is, it offers Mu-Mimo. This results in increased user device capabilities along with enhanced performance.
In this wireless device, you can ensure the optimization of antenna signals through beam-forming and it also ensures the highest reliability for clients and best reception as well.
Features:
10. Netgear WAC510PA-100NAS Insight Remote Managed Wireless Access Point
This wireless access point can be managed easily and it is easy to set up. For logging –in, you can make use of the insight cloud portal.
Through this login, you can easily manage and troubleshoot the network. More than that, you can also monitor the network that you set up from any remote place.
Apart from this, the device also offers free premium desktop GUI and mobile apps as well.
This device offers dual-band 802.11ac and hence it is easy to achieve high coverage along with high density and speed.
From this wireless access point, you can also expect the highest performance. It features multi-gigabit Wi-Fi at Ethernet port. This device is easy, simple to deploy and it is highly flexible as well. Mobile app management will be free till two devices and you need to pay for the extension.
Features:
Final Words
There are a lot of improvements in terms of wireless technology in recent years and users are offered plenty of different devices. But these devices can be chosen based on the business type and usage requirements. There is no one-size-fits-all solution that you can find for wireless network setup. If you are in a large office space then you need to utilize wireless access points for better connectivity.
An access point can be defined as a device that is designed for creating a wireless local area network for business or home mainly when the area is considerably large. The first thing you need to take care of here is connecting the access point to the wired router.
You can also connect it to an Ethernet cable or hub. For example, there is a space in an office that doesn’t feature a router in its range. Here, you can install an access point and establish the network for this area.
There are a lot of options if you are searching for a wireless access point. One of them which I liked the most is TP-Link AC1750 Wireless Wi-Fi Access Point. The best thing about this wireless access point is, it offers automatic band-steering and controller software.
It is easy to install and configure. All the wireless access points listed above are products to be tried even though the selection always depends on personal requirements.
If you are looking for devices of high range and speed, you need to go for wireless access points with the highest coverage.
Continue Reading: Best Black and White Laser Printer