Buy The Best Wireless Access Points For Home
A wireless network has become highly essential to offices and homes. In the past, you need to use cables to set up your computer network. These cables run through the ceilings and walls to reach the Internet connection to your devices. Thus, to avoid the cables, you may rely on wireless devices. However, the regular routers are not always able to manage the traffic in the network. To have the right solution to your issue, you can look for the best wireless access point for your home. WAPs are helpful in improving the router range.
Now, read the review of the most popular WAPs in the market.
Top 5 Best Wireless Access Points For Home
TP-Link AC1200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Access Point
AmpliFi WiFi System by Ubiquiti Labs
TP-Link AC1750 Wireless Wi-Fi Access Point
TP-Link CPE210 2.4GHz Access Point 300Mbps
Coredy Mini WiFi Range Extender, Access Point
FAQ
How does your Wireless Access Point perform its function?
Wireless Access Point works as a type of configured unit on the WLAN. It has an antenna and transceiver, helping in the process of receiving and transmitting Wi-Fi signals. Several businesses use the device for having wider coverage of the network.
What would I do for configuring Wireless Access Point?
You have to first deal with your router to open the page for web-based setup
After opening the page, you can find the Status menu, and from there, you have to choose the option, Wireless.
Find your MAC Address and connect your access point to your computer
Then, enter the IP address
Is a wireless AP different from a router?
The wireless router works as the center for setting up the LAN. It also helps in the communication and management of all the connected devices. However, wireless AP acts as the sub-device in the LAN. It presents a different site for the connection of the devices. By using it, you will be able to add more other devices to your network.
The wireless router may work as your AP. However, not every AP is able to act as your router. The router helps you in ensuring security, establishing the connectivity point, distributing the data, and interacting with something that is outside your network. However, the APs usually give you access only to the chosen network of your router.
Which is better for your wireless router or wireless AP?
For small enterprise and residential needs, a wireless router is useful. The users may get the advantage from the combined router and access point. However, while you have a large corporate unit, you can better rely on the wireless AP. You may need more than one AP to have the best service. You have to feed different APs into one router. The controls for the wireless access have to be present at one particular router.
Should there be a good power supply for using the wireless access points?
You may install the enterprise-standard access points at any place, where you are running the Ethernet cable. In the latest wireless APs, you may find the presence of PoE, which indicates the blend of power cord and Ethernet. A different powerline is not essential to run the units.
What advantages do you get from buying Wireless Access Point?
You may have several guests in your house, and they are trying to connect with their mobiles, tabs, and laptops with the Wi-Fi network. In that case, you will be able to add almost twenty devices very fast. Thus, by using the APs, you have the opportunity of increasing the number of connected devices in the network. There are several other features to give you more advantages from the wireless APs. You can get Access Control List and Captive Portal to limit the access of guests without affecting the security of the network. You also find it easy to control the users in the Wi-Fi network.
Is a Range Extender different from Access Point?
You know that the access point helps in the creation of WLAN in a house. You have to link it to a switch or wired router through the Ethernet cable. This results in the transmission of the Wi-Fi signal to the desired site. For instance, while you strive to have a Wi-Fi connection in the reception unit of your office, you have to place the wireless AP adjacent to your front desk.
However, the purpose of using a range extender is to widen the network coverage. As this device wireless connects to the Wi-Fi routers, you have to place it at a site, where the signal of the router is very strong.
Guide For Buying Wireless Access Point
Buying the best wireless access point for home is not easy. To prevent you from all the confusion, we have presented you with a comprehensive guide. You have to focus on the useful features while buying the device.
Access Point- Dual or single radio band
It is a very common capability that you can find in wireless routers. These routers are able to transmit data with the frequency of 5GHz and 2.4GHz. However, while you are dealing with the access points, the devices enable the radio bands to function with a unique standard. The innovatively designed wireless APs are effective in interfacing with the devices of older versions.
Settings of the antenna
While you are buying the best wireless AP, you have to check out its capability of creating stable and reliable networks. The antenna of the device plays one of the major roles to give you the best solution. That is why you have to access the antenna type, used in the chosen device. In few cases, the antennas are removable, and you may replace them. However, in several other models, you can find the integrated antenna.
The best antennas are also able to function with the latest beamforming technologies. These technologies enable your device in the strong network creation at the chosen site.
MU-MIMO
It is one of the latest technologies, used in modern wireless APs. In the older models also, you could find MIMO. However, their users were not able to use their devices with more than one device.
The introduction of this MU-MIMO technology helps you in adding access points. You will not have any interruption in the service. This technology has higher usability than that of SU-MIMO. Thus, you can look for the products, created with this innovative technology.
Standalone or Controller-based- Which is better for you?
You can find access points, capable of working without any controller. They are useful as a type of standalone unit. They are also able to cover many areas to offer wireless networking services. However, you may get several other APs that are highly reliant on the controller for the regulation of the services.
While you strive to develop the network over a very small area, you may rely on the standalone APs. However, the number of users, using the network, also plays a role to make the right choice. When there are several users, you have to use a higher number of APs for adding reliability to the network. It is best to pass all the APs through your controller unit for easier network management.
Different other services that you get from APs
Nowadays, the best wireless access point for home turns on the scanning process to find out the wireless units, causing risk to your network. It never affects your access to the internet network. POE or Power Over Ethernet is another common feature of the device. The electrical power of the AP will move through your data cable.
The reliable manufacturers integrate various other useful services to give you the best. The above two services help you to have a view of the additional features that are present in most of the APs.
Speed
The speed of the WAPs is of various levels. This speed level is shown in the Mbps units. In the case of most of the WAPs, we have found that the speed rate is 350 Mbps while the frequency of the unit is 2.4 GHz. When the frequency level is 5 GHz, this highest speed level can reach 1300 Mbps. The average speed for the average speed is 867 Mbps.
Online activities, including video watching, video gaming, or Skype call can affect the connection speed of the network. You have to invest in the AP that is able to offer high speeds for solving the issues of slow bandwidth.
The best APs help you in controlling several other features, including the service quality. It will surely be effective to present you with a better speed for connections.
Range
In most cases, the product manufacturers mention the range on the package. The range usually indicates a distance up to which the WAP sends the signal without causing any issue. For instance, the range of the WAPs can be from 1500 to 4500 sq. ft.
Average-sized houses may cover 2000 sq. ft. Thus, as one of the users of the WAP, you have to make sure that the range is not below 2000 sq. ft.
While you have bought a WAP, having a very low coverage, a range extender is essential to have an increased reach of Wi-Fi. It is not very easy to assess the ranges. The strength of the Wi-Fi signal can vary for several factors. For instance, the presence of thicker walls between the device and access point can cause an issue.
Security
The new WAPs have different security features in them. One of the most common features in these devices is the Captive Portal. By using this feature, it will be easier for you to create a connection, protected with the password. The guest users will be able to use the network. It makes sure that not all the persons, present at the site can get access to the Wi-Fi network for your home or business.
Another good security tool is rogue AP detection. You will get an alert while unauthorized persons are using your network. Thus, this feature protects your network from hackers’ threats.
Conclusion
Thus, you have now got detailed information on reliable WAPs in the market. All the WAP manufacturers are competing with other brands by presenting better products to the users. These brands are also trying to add more features to the WAPs. However, from our above review, we have found that TP-Link AC1200 is best for all types of users. That is why we have placed it first on our list. Strong signal, dual-band antenna, signal indicator, and various other features are present in this device. You may choose it as the best wireless access point for a home. The price rate of all WAPs is different, and you have to check it out while buying them.
