How to Choose the Best Wireless Access Point?
The recent development of science and technology has increased people’s demand and dependence on the internet. Undoubtedly, it can be said that people, either professional or non-professional, are nothing without the internet. More than individuals, organizations are completely dependent on the internet for smooth operations.
The Internet is not just about a device but several devices. When devices connect, a network is established to run the internet on the system. One of the important devices in this network is an access point or AP. The access point transforms wired connectivity into signals transmitted over Wi-fi. By connecting to a wired device, such as a router, switch, or hub, the units or signals transmit Wi-fi through their range. Access is vital in an organization that accommodates a large number of wireless internet users.
In the beginning, wired access points were primarily used. But, with increased technical developments, people switched to wireless access points. Today, you will find more wireless access point users than wired access point users. And surprisingly, the demand for the same is unstoppable.
If you want to switch to a wireless access point for better productivity, you should consider the following factors.
Range of the access point
One of the important factors or parameters to choose a wireless access point is its range. Make sure you choose a wireless access point with a larger coverage area. It will be more beneficial for you. Other than this, you will reduce the number and cost of access points along with the overall cost of the business. The common range that businesses prefer for wireless access points is 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Speed of the access point
After the range, the speed of the access point matters. Speed refers to the rate at which information travels through the wireless access point. The speed of the access point is measured in bits per second or bps, kilobits, megabits, or gigabits. The measurement change with the speed level, where bps is the lowest and gigabits is the highest. You should choose a wireless access point with the highest speed.
Antennae of the access point
Basically, you will find a built-in wireless access point, unlike an external antenna in the router. The antennae directly affect the signal strength and transmission range of the wireless access point so it’s a very important parameter to consider. If the antenna of the access point isn’t strong, the signal will be and the coverage area will be less. According to us, you should choose a wireless access point with a booster antenna.
Read About: Best Wireless Access Point of 2022
Guest access in the access point
Almost every company is suffering from data breaches and other cybersecurity issues. Now and then, companies have to analyze and evaluate the security status to make sure the network connection is safe from hackers. In this, access points also play an important role. It prevents access from unsecured devices. And with a guest access system, the access point ensures that the guests are safe on the network.
No hardware controllers in the access point
Years ago, operating an access point was not easy. It required IT technicians with specialized knowledge to operate from a computer. But, today, no technicians are required because of the advanced technology. For example, the latest Wi-fi 6 access points use software control in the network and don’t require an external controller. Previously, hardware-dependent access points were available that were not beneficial like software-based control. With no hardware control, you eliminate large blocks of hardware and reduce the possibility of a single-point failure in the network.
Wifi technology of the access point
Consider the Wi-fi technology before choosing the wireless access point. The selection of the Wi-fi technology depends on your business or individual needs. The three access point Wi-fi technologies are MESH, MIMO, and POE. MESH technology is used in home and commercial equipment. MIMO technology reduces the data speed by blocking effects that affect Wi-fi signals. And last, the POE technology adopts low-power technology, transmitting signals up to 100M.
Price of the access point
The high price of the wireless access point doesn’t mean it will be a good choice for you. Instead of price, you should consider other factors or parameters of the access point. Chances are that highly-priced access points might cause wastage of function and performance. But, if you buy a cheap wireless access point, it might be inferior or counterfeit. So, you should understand the actual performance of the wireless access point before buying. Also, you should check the average cost of the wireless access point in the market.
Some of the popular wireless access points are:
- TP-LINK EAP225 V3 Wireless Access Point
- NETGEAR Wireless Access Point
- Ubiquiti Networks Wireless Access Point
- Zyxel True WiFi6 Wireless Access Point
- ASUS 3-In-1 Wireless Access Point
- JOOWIN AC1200 High Wireless Access Point
- EnGenius Wireless Access Point
- Aruba Instant On AP22 Wireless Access Point
- Cisco Wireless Access Point
- Linksys Wireless Access Point
You should compare these wireless access points based on the factors discussed above. In this list, the most trusted brand for wireless access point is TP-link. The thing is you should compare properly without missing any important detail. One wrong selection can affect the home and office network, impacting your overall productivity and performance. If you get anywhere while choosing the wireless access point, you should seek help from professionals. Their knowledge will be helpful.
To know more about wireless access points, connect with us via WhatsApp at +971585811786
Best Wireless Access Point of 2022
Also called an access point (AP), the wireless access point (WAP) is a compact electronic device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired or wireless network. The WAP devices create a Wi-Fi network within an existing wired or wireless network so that there is an option to accommodate more wireless devices.
Today, WAP devices have become an important part of many organizations as well as home users. And it’s because these devices eliminate the major issues like poor Wi-Fi coverage, slow connectivity, dead zones, weak signal, and others. One of the best things about wireless access points is easy installation.
Due to the benefits offered by WAP devices, their demand is very high. Considering this high demand, there is a large variety of wireless access systems to choose from, making the selection process very complicated. Organizations don’t know which WAP device will suit their requirements or give good results. Sometimes, they end up choosing the wrong device, hampering the operations and performance of their organizations.
Read About: How to Choose the Best Wireless Access Point?
To make your selection easy, we will discuss the best wireless access points for 2022. But, before that, we will discuss the points that you should consider before investing in a wireless access device.
- Power of Internet
- Concurrent dual brand
- Load balancing
- Defense against a rogue access point
- Beamforming
- Mesh networking support
TP-Link EAP660 HD Wi-Fi Access Point
If you are looking for an affordable consumer-friendly wireless access point, then TP-Link is the option for you. All the WAP models or series of TP-Link are suitable for the organizations and their performances. Earlier, the EAP245 was very much in the picture. But, the company made some serious advances and introduced the EAP660 wireless access point.
The EAP660 access point includes both getaways and switches. This access point comes with a simple design, a circular-shaped case, entirely covered by a white matte finish. The device sits on the ceiling with the tendency of running fairly hot, but thankfully, the company has taken the necessary precautions to overcome that.
The access point has a single fairly small LED sitting at the top of the case, showing its status. The LED indicator flashes when the AP upgrades the firmware as well as it become solid when the device works properly.
As there is no additional Ethernet port for wired clients, only wireless clients can connect to the EAP660 HD. In this case, the access point is equipped with the following features:
- A quad-core 2GHz Qualcomm IPQ8072A
- 512MB ESMT RAM
- 128MB ESMT F59D1G81MB-AZM1P0H9N storage
- Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8072A 802.11b/g/n/ax 4×4;4 chip for the 2.4GHZ radio
- Qualcomm Atheros IPQ8072A 802.11a/n/ac/ax 4×4;4 for the 5GHz radio
The TP-Link EAP660 HD runs either as a standalone device or as part of a larger environment using the Omada controller.
Ubiquiti U6-LR Wi-Fi 6 Access Point
Considered one of the best Wi-Fi 6 access points, Ubiquiti U6-LR makes a smooth and fairly inexpensive transition for SMBs and enterprise clients toward the newer technology without a radical change in the infrastructure. This access point is very capable and can hold its ground against its main competitors. The only thing is Ubiquiti is large, measuring 8.66×1.89 inches.
The size is large but the look of the access point is great. The case is saucer-shaped, covered by a white matte finish, and with a narrow canal at the top, circling to let the LED shine through. The LED blinks differently, indicating different signs. It’s possible to mount U6-LR outdoors because of its plastic case. As there are no ventilation cut-outs anywhere on the case, no water and dust enter the enclosure. The best thing is that the access point doesn’t get hot like other enclosed case access points.
Ubiquiti doesn’t have any option to power up the device so the use of a PoE switch or a PoE adapter is very important. For making any configuration changes to the device and the network, the access point uses UniFi Controller Software.
Linksys LAPAC 1750C WAP
As a part of the new access points that support the Cloud controller, the Linksys LAPAC 1750C is suitable for today’s exigence. The device follows the trend of compact circle and hexagon shape that can be easily positioned anywhere, even on the ceiling. The case has soft, rounded corners instead of sharp angles and is covered by a white matte finish. There is a small bar for the LED lights along with a narrow canal surrounding the top of the device. From the narrow canal, the case flows from the narrower top side towards a larger footprint.
The Linksys LAPAC 1750C WAP measures 9.57×9.33×1.72 inches, which can be positioned on the wall or the ceiling. Mounting is easy because the access point comes with a mounting kit. The access point can be mounted horizontally as well on the desk using the four small round silicone feet, providing stability. Like other access points, the LED light in this access point blinks or becomes solid, signifying different things. There is no PoE injector in this.
The Linksys LAPAC 1750C WAP comes with the support for the 802.11K Roaming technology that negates the need for re-authentication every time the user roams to a new node. The access point is popular and highly demanded because of the centralized management system that allows the creation of access point clusters, managed by a single controller. There is an option to use the access system in offline mode just by simply entering the IP address of the device and doing the necessary configurations. The Cloud Controller offers several benefits such as VLAN tagging, Bandwidth Limit, Splash Page, and so on.
These are the 3 best wireless access points of 2022. If you wish to know more, connect with us via WhatsApp (+971585811786)