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wireless access point
Sign in to saveAlso known as AP, WAP, access point, wireless network access point, Wi-Fi access point, wifi access point
device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, or related standards
~8 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Cisco Aironet wireless access point
In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP) (also just access point (AP)) is a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network or wireless network. As a standalone device, the AP may have a wired or wireless connection to a switch or router, but in a wireless router it can also be an integral component of the networking device itself. A WAP and AP is differentiated from a hotspot, which can be a physical location or digital location where Wi-Fi or WAP access is available.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “wireless access point” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.