Difference between access point, wireless repeater, range extender etc.

@thebigk • Oct 26, 2024

Oct 26, 2024

2.6K

I checked out the descriptions of access point, wireless repeater and range extenders but failed to see any major difference between these. It'd be really nice if someone could clearly differentiate between these three networking components. I want to understand -

1. If my main point of connection is the wireless repeater / range extender - can I call it my 'access point'?

2. If yes, why are access points and wireless repeaters are two separate categories on Amazon India's website?

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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 11, 2013

Wireless repeater or Range extender as you say, is used to amplify the signal where the signal is weak. It is just a boost.
While access point is the one which is used to create a wi-fi network. It can support up to 255 clients. There is one access point in a network, but there can be multiple boosts deployed depending upon how much range you want or signal strength
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Aug 11, 2013

If I'm accessing the Internet through a wireless network extended by a wireless repeater - the repeater is the access point for me! Wireless repeater is basically a router that obtains its own connection from an existing wireless network, than through ethernet cables.
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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 11, 2013

Access point is a device connected with cable (Cat5) to your main router/modem/internet, and serving clients wirelessly.

Repeater is a wireless network device that repeats wireless signals to extend range without being connected with cable to either your router/modem, or your clients. Many routers/access points can be configured in "repeater" mode.

Extender has the same functionality as a repeater. Extenders are usually devices that only do repeating, and can't be set in any other mode.

There is a downside to using a repeater vs. using an access point (or setting a device in repeater vs. access point mode), however - it sessentially halves your wireless bandwidth, as it has to use it to communicate with both your main AP and the clients. Although range extenders/repeaters reach areas beyond the range of the central router, they also bounce back all the router's traffic, creating congestion and slowing the network.
As it is evident, access points can be configured into repeater mode. Access point is that where you get your connectivity to EXTERNAL NETWORK (internet) from. So if you connected to a repeater, you cannot call it your access point. Take it this way, if the main router goes down, your internet connection is terminated. No matter if you are connected on a repeater or primary signal from central router.

Courtesy : #-Link-Snipped-#

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durga ch

@durga-TpX3gO • Aug 12, 2013

AccessPoint generally has some intelligence built in it such as verification of devices connecting to it, acting as as DHCP server , acting as a gateway between wired and wireless . Repeaters are not intelligent devices ,they only help in enhancing the signal strength .

setup might be soemthing like this
{internet}--||------Ruter(AP) (IP address range1)<-->Repeater(IPaddress range2)

I am assuming , incase the repeater functions in L3 layer, then what Kaustubh said is very well correct, it is acting like an AP for local LAN but with AP as its gateway for internet. Once the connection between AP and repeater goes down, internet access is denied thought the repeater LAN is alive. but incase it is functioning in physical layer , then its functionality is limited to signal enhancement.

Kaustubh, are you done pulling up this configuration? do post here what IP ranges you have used to set up the connection.
Also,once the whole setup is done, take your phone and stand very close by to the AP check the IP address and take the phone to somewhere near the repeater and check the IP address again..
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Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk • Aug 12, 2013

#-Link-Snipped-# : That's what I was looking for. Thank you for the explanation. I'm yet to do a setup and currently understanding what do I really need. I've this ONT device that feeds signals to my router. But router's range is very limited and I am looking to extend it. Now wireless repeater is definitely what I need; but when I checked online, I found this thing called 'Access Point'. That's why I thought of asking the exact difference between them. I think what I need is a wireless repeater so that it simply boosts the signal.

The next question I have is - does the repeater put any restrictions on how many devices I can connect? I'm assuming that in several areas, I'll notice two Wi-Fi networks - one directly from my router and second, from my repeater. I think all my wireless devices should be able to connect independently to either of the networks without any issues.

Correct me if that's not right.

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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 12, 2013

#-Link-Snipped-#

The repeater will never itself give a different IP address even if it is behaving like the access point for devices in that region UNLESS it is preconfigured to do so in the DHCP server, like if V-LANs are created. And Simply moving from one router to another repeater won't reset your IP Address. You need to disable the adaptor, release the IP address and then reconnect to the network near the repeater as we want it.

Router or Access point basically connects your internal/private network to external network or internet. So even if the Router goes down, internal connectivity within same repeater as well as other repeaters will be perfectly normal. New L3 Switches also can behave like routers. They can be directly configured to connect into the network layer rather than normal boosters or hubs or L1/L2 switches which work within the Network or Data Layer.

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durga ch

@durga-TpX3gO • Aug 12, 2013

the whole purpose of that standing and noting IP addresses is to see from where the device is getting the Ip address from?
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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 12, 2013

Kaustubh Katdare
#-Link-Snipped-# :
The next question I have is - does the repeater put any restrictions on how many devices I can connect? I'm assuming that in several areas, I'll notice two Wi-Fi networks - one directly from my router and second, from my repeater. I think all my wireless devices should be able to connect independently to either of the networks without any issues.

Correct me if that's not right.

You need to configure your DHCP server in order to facilitate which IPs range you want to assign on which repeater. If you simply configure a repeater, it will just boost your signal and give IP range which is set in the start. Assigning the IP range is also very important.which numbers you are using in first three octets.

The number of clients that can connect to a repeater depends on its power or you can say, its ability. It cannot exceed 255 clients that is for sure. So if you want all your clients to communicate with each other internally as well as get similar IP range then DONT configure DHCP server for any sort of Virtual LANs.

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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 12, 2013

durga
the whole purpose of that standing and noting IP addresses is to see from where the device is getting the Ip address from?

I understand that but unless you release the previously alloted IP to your device by the DHCP server, your device will primarily look for the same IP thread to get connected again. If no sort of VLANs are configured, then you will get easy connectivity on same IP or same IP address will be assigned to you again if it is set on automatic. BUT if VLANs are configured then the manually assigned IP will not get connected to the repeater. You need to set it on automatic mode/ or you have to manually give the proper IP range to gain connection. In either case, you first need to release the previous IP. Else it can show an IP conflict error to any other client trying to connect to the network as well as even make your connection unstable.
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durga ch

@durga-TpX3gO • Aug 12, 2013

@ nayan: we are not discussing about switches/vlans here, lets keep them where they belong -L2
Routers/AP act at network layer and as gateways. both of us agree here. Now coming to repeaters, I know they work at L1 layer incase of wired devices but incase of wireless, the repeater needs to listen to the frequency which is being transmitted by AP ,purge it and then retransmit it, so it might as well be operating in l3 layer provided DHCP is configured as you rightly pointed out.
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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 12, 2013

#-Link-Snipped-# : Ahh, now I get why repeaters can work like access points in L3. And of course, it depends on DHCP. But I dont think any network can work with only L3 repeaters without a router. What say? They won't be able to give internet connectivity if the DSL is connected to them.

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durga ch

@durga-TpX3gO • Aug 12, 2013

ofcourse, only repeater cant perform the function of WAN device (router/AP) of connecting to the ISP as such.
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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 29, 2013

Hello CEans, I often find people around me to easily mix up these three terms, Routers- Switches- Hubs

Let us start with Hubs. A Hub and a switch are both devices which interconnect computers in a network. But there is a BIG difference between them. A Hub has multiple incoming ports but only ONE output port. So if there are 5 devices connected to the hub, it will entertain only 1 at a time. So you are thinking right, it is SLOWER than Switches. Switch as you already guessed has a dedicated input output line for every client.

Router has a wider purpose. It is used to establish connection between two different networks. Like one company with other. Or your personal network at home to internet. There are different types of routers depending on utility. Also there are 3-layer switches which are capable to act like routers when required.

Routers have an in built security through access control lists. Its like their personal firewall.
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durga ch

@durga-TpX3gO • Aug 31, 2013

@ Nayan: I hold a different opinion on what hubs are. Hubs are simply single bus devices, where only I device is allowed to use the bus at any given point of time. That is why when you connect 2 hubs in series, you end up having a single collision domain, ie where only 1 device can transmit at a given time.

Switch has a better hardware than a hub. below . Please look for switching fabrics sch as batcher banyan / knock out switches to understand .The switch fabric is such that, any port can communicate to any other port . Due to other line card properties like buffering, contention for a specific port is also taken care of.
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Nayan Goenka

@nayan-Dhpt4N • Aug 31, 2013

I completely agree with you. This was what I meant but I wasn't able to put it in these exact vocab. thanks for updating this.
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