The Wi-Fi technology is increasingly present in most homes and offices working for freedom of movement and ability to access the network offering from anywhere within the coverage range. For this reason, there are more and more efforts to improve and develop new devices for this type of network. However, with a Wi-Fi router we can do the job in homes and small offices, but not in large companies or places where there are a large number of connections at the same time or with significant traffic.

In those cases, when a router is not enough, you can use WiFi access points , with capabilities and functionalities that we will discuss later. With this new guide we want you to know what they are, what advantages they could bring you, everything you need to know at a technical level about them to make a better choice, and we will show you our list with some of the best WiFi access points you can buy.

What is a WiFi access point?

An access point , as its name suggests, is a device that allows you to link to a wireless network. They are used for offices and large buildings where good coverage and connection to the network is needed. The access point does not replace the router, but connects directly to the router or switch, hub, modem or whatever we have to provide a network. The connection is made using an Ethernet network cable, so that the connection is much more stable than if it were done wirelessly.

Once connected, the access point becomes a WiFi signal emitter, projecting coverage so that the rest of the building’s equipment can connect to it. That is, it may look like something like a WiFi extender that we have talked about in this blog on several occasions or a PLC, but it is not the same.

What do I need to know to choose the best one?

To buy a good wireless access point you need to know a series of technical details as we are going to show you here.

Most important parameters:

Everything mentioned in the technical section in our guides on network cards, neutral routers, amplifiers, etc., would also be valid for this type of device. And that includes:

• The standards of the WiFi AP are what will determine the performance of the network. If you remember, the IEEE standards for wireless networks vary in terms of coverage and speed that it could offer.
• Therefore, except for special needs, you should not buy access points below 802.11n, 802.11ac or 802.11ax , since they are the ones that will offer the best features.
• If you have mixed devices that accept one or the other band, it would also be appropriate for the access point or AP to accept Dual Band so that it broadcasts in 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz .
• Remember that the old devices are compatible with 2.4 Ghz, and the most modern with 5 Ghz due to the better performance and speed it offers due to a lower saturation of that frequency range.
• But the 2.4 Ghz could have an advantage beyond the compatibility that I have commented, and that is that they tend to go further because the lower frequency waves are not so absorbed by walls and other barriers present.
• MIMO (Multiple Input – Multiple Output) capabilities , important to improve performance and benefits when working in simultaneous mode by transmitting several data streams at the same time. But within MIMO there are two variants:
• SU-MIMO : Single User MIMO are those that only allow one user to get data at the same time.
• MU-MIMO : MultiUser MIMO allows multiple users to get this data at the same time.
• Compatibility with 4G / LTE , or other technologies such as 3G, 2G, etc., this can be interesting to have a
• portable AP that you can take wherever you want with a SIM card with which you can connect via satellite in
• places where there is no connection to another type.

Remember, that like the extenders or other elements, you can buy packs to group them throughout the entire WiFi space that you want to create.

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best WiFi access points you can buy:

TP Link AX3600

If you are looking for a high-end model that is compatible with the latest 802.11ax (WiFi 6) standard, this model is the best you can find both in terms of features and price. It also includes a 2.5 Gbps ethernet port that also allows it to be powered by PoE.

TP Link AX3600 details

• Speed: 802.11ax with 1148Mbps (2.4Ghz) and 2.4Gbps (5Ghz)
• Antennas: 4 × 4 MIMO for 2.4 and 5 Ghz (Dual Band) with 4 × 5 dBi internal antennas
• 2.5 Gbps ethernet port
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2 and WPA3

Netgear WAX620

Another model similar to the TP Link AX3600, also with WiFi 6 and similar speeds in both 2.4 and 5 Ghz.

Netgear WAX620 details

• Speed: 802.11ax with 1148Mbps (2.4Ghz) and 2.4Gbps (5Ghz)
• Antennas: 4 × 4 MIMO for 2.4 and 5 Ghz (Dual Band) with 4 × 5 dBi internal antennas

Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

• Speed: 802.11ac with 450Mbps (2.4Ghz) and 1.3Gbps (5Ghz)
• Antennas: 3 × 3 MIMO for 2.4 and 5 Ghz (Dual Band) with 3 internal antennas
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2,
• Extras: energy saving, PoE and PoE + support, 2 Ethernet connections, reset button

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LR

• Speed: 802.11ac with 450Mbps (2.4Ghz) and 1.3Gbps (5Ghz)
• Antennas: 3 × 3 MIMO for 2.4 and 2 × 2 MIMO for 5 Ghz (Dual Band) with 2 internal antennas
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2,
• Extras: energy saving, 1 Ethernet port, reset button

TP-Link EAP245 AC1750

• Speed: 802.11ac up to 1750Mbps (450Mbps for 2.4Ghz and 1300Mbps for 5Ghz)
• Antennas: Dual Band 2.4 / 5Ghz with internal antenna
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2
• Extras: PoE support, 1 Ethernet port, reset button

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LITE

• Speed: 802.11n / ac
• Antennas: 2 × 2 MIMO for 2.4 with 2 internal antennas
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2
• Extras: for business environments, energy saving, PoE support, Ethernet connections, reset button

TP-Link CPE210

• Speed: 802.11n at 300Mbps
• Antennas: MIMO for 2.4 Ghz with 1 internal antenna
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2
• Extras: supports a good temperature range to install outdoors as well, multiplatform support, IPX5 protection, RJ45

TP-Link TL-WA901ND

• Speed: 802.11n at 300Mbps
• Antennas: 2.4 Ghz with three external detachable antennas
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2
• Extras: PoE + compatible, Quick Secure Setup, 1 Ethernet port (RJ-45)
• 2.5 Gbps ethernet port
• Security: WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA, WPA2 and WPA3

Hotspot Buying Tips and considerations

The price

The price may be a determining factor if you do not want to spend more than a certain amount or if you have a limited budget. But this should not be a limitation, since it is possible that by wanting to invest less then we regret it because we do not have what we really want.

The firmware

The firmware included in the access point should also be important, because if it contains a firmware that is not updated frequently or is a manufacturer that neglects this aspect, we could run into serious security problems due to vulnerabilities or that it is not optimized and due to so much so that we will not be able to get the most out of the network hardware that we have.

operating temperatures

Other factors, although rare, could be the way the access point is installed or the operating temperatures it supports. This could be vital in certain environments where the ambient conditions are not too neutral, that is, in places where the temperatures are high or, conversely, too low. With these extreme temperatures, we may want devices that accept a different operating temperature range.

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