Top 8 best wireless access point to buy in 2020
Top 8 best wireless access point to buy in 2020 :
A wireless access point or simply AP are devices to create wireless Local area network (WLAN) by connecting to a router or hub via an ethernet cable. Wireless Acess points are commonly used in modern business and large buildings.Using a WAP, you can easily cover wifi in all dead spots of your office building.
Range Extender or WAP :
Most people got confused between a Wireless access point and Wifi range extender/repeater or Wifi Booster.A Wifi range extender expands the existing signal coverage over a larger area. But they are connected wirelessly to a wifi router. So, you will have to place them where the signal is already strong. But AP can be placed in any places using an ethernet cable. Again, only a limited number of devices can connect to a range extender simultaneously and the signal becomes weaker if a number of device increases. On the other hand, AP can handle hundreds of connections simultaneously and if you set-up multiple access points, users can roam between each access point without experiencing any signal loss.
What should I check before placing the order (Buying Guide):
PoE :
PoE or Power over Ethernet technology lets network cable carry electrical power. That means, if you have a PoE AP, only one cable is required to install it anywhere, that will save you money on purchasing a different cable and also the installation will be much simpler._ Most high-end Access point devices use _PoE_ nowadays._
802.11 standards:
The 802.11 wifi standards have different speed and frequency range. The following table highlights the speed and frequency of different 802.11 standards :
| IEEE standard | Frequency | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| 802.11 | 2.4GHz | 2 Mbps |
| 802.11a | 5GHz | up to 54 Mbps |
| 802.11b | 2.4GHz | up to 11 Mbps |
| 802.11g | 2.4GHz | up to 54 Mbps |
| 802.11n | 2.4GHz/5GHz | up to 300 Mbps (uses MIMO) |
| 802.11ac | 2.4GHz/5GHz | 1300 Mbps on 5GHz plus 450 Mbps on 2.4 GHz |
Most of the newer devices support only 5GHz standard.So, we recommend you to go for dual-band access point that supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz both frequency range.
MIMO :
MIMO or Multiple in, multiple out technology was introduced with 802.11n standard. MIMO uses multiple antennas for both transmitter and receivers that optimizes the transmission speed. Other wireless devices use Single-input Single-output (SISO) technology that uses only one transmitter and receiver.
SOHO or Enterprise grade :
SOHO or Small office, home office access points can handle only a few clients simultaneously. On other hands, Enterprise-grade AP can handle hundreds of clients. So, if you are not looking for an enterprise network, SOHO AP will be a good choice.
It is really not an easy task to find out the best router with We have picked out the top 7 best wireless access point currently available. Let’s have a look :
8. Mikrotik hAP mini RB931-2nD Wireless Access Point :
hAP mini from Mikrotik is small sized 2 GHz access point best for home and small office use. It has one internet port and two LAN ports (configurable). The height of the unit is only 8 cm. It uses QCA9533 CPU, just like other popular units of hAP series. This device has a built-in omnidirectional antenna that works in 2 GHz and supports 802.11b/g/n standards. You can connect any number of devices to it. Like other Wireless Access points, you can configure it by using the web-configuration page.
Summary :
- QCA9533 single core CPU.
- 32 MB RAM.
- Built-in 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n,dual-chain wireless.
- 3 10/100 ethernet ports.
7. Linksys Business LAPAC1200 AC1200 Access Point :
Linksys Business LAPAC1200 AC1200 is a dual-band wireless access point with Power with Ethernet Plus(PoE+) support. It supports the latest 802.11ac technology. 802.11ac has three times more performance improvement than 802.11n. Best for small/medium sized offices, it can manage multiple wireless access points and guest wifi access using clustering. The transfer rate is up to 1200 Mbps and also it features dual wireless bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). PoE+ technology passes both electrical power and data using one ethernet cable, which removes the requirement of another power adapter. On the security side, it provides WPA and WPA2 security protocols and 802.1X with Remote Authentication Dial-in user service. Other features like administrator can identify authorized access point, block/unblock particular device based on MAC address, wireless broadcast scheduling, data encryption, IPv6 support etc are also available.
Summary :
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac with Dual Band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) support and Maximum Data Rate up to 1,200 Mbps
- Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+)
- Centralized Management
- Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) security
6. NETGEAR Dual Band 802.11ac Wireless Access Point :
NETGEAR Dual Band Wireless Access point is a SOHO router featuring dual-band concurrent operation at 2.4GHz and 5GHz with a total throughput of 1.2 Gbps. It uses 802.11ac, much better than 802.11n standard, delivers 300Mbps at 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps at 5 GHz frequency. Backward compatible and supports 802.11n devices. 802.11ac can work on 5 GHz signal range, unlike other previous generation Wifi. If you want to connect any wired device, it has four Gigabit Ethernet ports. On the security side, it supports both WPA and WPA2. The administrator can monitor and control devices using MAC address in the GUI portal. One WiFi protected system (WPS) button is also available for easy client connectivity.
Features :
- Dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11ac WAP
- Backward compatible with 802.11n devices
- 300 Mbps with 2.4GHz and 867 Mbps at 5GHz
- WPA, WPA2 supported. WPS Button. Easy interface.
5. COMFAST CF-E355AC Wireless Access Point :
COMFAST CF-E355AC is an 802.11ac compatible dual band \Wifi access point. It can work on both _2.4 GHz_ and 5.8 GHz frequency with 300Mbps for 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps speed for 5.8 GHz channel. 802.11 ac uses MU-MIMO or Multi-user, multiple-input, multiple- output technology that allows an access point to communicate with multiple clients simultaneously without compromising overall user experience. It uses Qualcomm chipset with 128M DDR, 16M flash with PF and CPU hardware acceleration for better multiuser function. The maximum transmission rate is 1200Mbps. One more thing we love is that it supports PoE or Power over ethernet technology, means you don’t need any extra cable for power . The ethernet cable will deliver the power to the AP.
Features :
- Qualcomm chipset with 128 DDR RAM, 16M flash
- 802.11ac dual band ( 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz)
- 1200Mbps maximum transmission rate
- Supports Power over Ethernet
4. COMFAST CF-WA850 High Power 1750Mbps Outdoor AP :
COMFAST CF-WA850 is a powerful 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz 802.11ac/a/b/g/n access point with 5.8 signal priority,m eans users will be automatically connect to the 5G network to enjoy more better wifi experience. It can deliver up to 1750 Mbps of speed. It is powered by Qualcomm chipset with a 720 MHz CPU ,256 MB DDR2 RAM and PA chipset. No matter how many users will connect, CF-WA850 can always provide smooth network without any change in speed. It has built-in watchdog chip with self-healing and self-reset capability. CF-WA850 supports power over ethernet feature which can work up to 30 meter of distance.
Features :
- Qualcomm chipset, 720 MHz CPU,256MB DDR2 RAM.
- 802.11ac/a/b/g/n 2.4GHz and 5.8 GHz,1750 Mbps maximum transmission rate
- Watchdog chip with self-healing and self-reset capability
- Supports Power over Ethernet
3. Linksys Business Pro Series Wireless-AC Dual-Band Access Point LAPAC2600 :
Linksys LAPAC2600 Access Point features latest Wireless-AC technology for simultaneous wifi-throughput on any environment. This dual band Access point works in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel and it can deliver a combined speed up to 2.53 Gbps. It supports 802.11r and 802.11k standards. 802.11r enabled devices can move freely without any interruption even if it is doing any heavy operation like video call or downloading large files. On security side, LAPAC2600 comes with an array of business class security features. It gives you full control over access rights with WPA/WPA2 security. RADIUS or Remote Authentication Dial-In User service provides a centralized way to authenticate users on the network. Apart from this, Rogue AP detection, _ 802.1X Supplicant Authentication_ and MAC address filtering provides extra layer of security.
Features :
- Dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
- Combined speed up to 2.53 Gbps.
- 802.11r and 802.11k standards
- WPA/WPA2 , RADIUS, Rougue AP detection, MAC address filtering etc.
2. TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point (TL-WA801ND) ( Best budget Access point ):
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This Wireless Access Point is ideal for smooth HD video streaming, online gaming , voice call and other similar heavy operations. It can deliver speed up to 300 Mbps ( 2.4 GHz). Works on _ IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b_ standards, this Access point can simultaneously works with Tx and Rx antennas and easily overcome all barriers of signal degradation. It supports different wireless modes like AP Mode ,Multi-SSID Mode, Client Mode , Repeater Mode (WDS/Universal) and Bridge with AP Mode that helps you to build wireless network for any location. TL-WA801ND supports passive PoE up to 100 feet distance. You can connect one passive PoE injector device to this access point via a Ethernet cable, no separate power cable is required.
Features :
- Low cost
- 2.4 GHz , can deliver speed up to 300 Mbps
- Works with 802.11n,802.11g and 802.11b standard.
- AP Mode, Multi-SSID Mode , Client mode , repeater mode, Bridge with AP mode.
1. Dell Sonicwall 01-SSC-0871 Sonicpoint Aci Wireless Access Point :
Sonicpoint Aci Access point can deliver a data rate up to 1.3 Gbps without losing the performance level. Works with IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11ac data link protocol, this access point can handle maximum 256 clients simultaneously. Sonicpoint Aci features dual radios, internal antennas and 3x3 MIMO that enhance signal quality and reliability . You can install it safely in any air-handling spaces like inside or above suspended ceiling. Works with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, you can create upto 8 virtual access point using it. Apart from these, Sonicpoint Aci comes with other different essential features like wireless security, centralized management, virtual access point (VAP) segmentation, broad standard and protocol support, wireless intrusion detection and prevention , wireless guest service, lightweight hotspot messaging , granular security policy enforcement etc.
Features :
- 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz with 1.3 Gbps data rate
- Dual radios, internal antennas and 3x3 MIMO
- Flexible deployment options
- Centralized management, wireless security, intrusion detection.
reference : pearsonitcertification