Wireless Access Points (WAPs) connect traditional wired networks to wireless clients. These wireless networks provide ease of access to the network for mobile users, increasing productivity while reducing infrastructure costs.

A WAP is a device that allows different types of wireless network cards to connect without cables, hence wireless, to connect to LANs and access resources, including the Internet. A WAP plugs into a hub or switch and is the device that joins the unwired network to the wired network. As shown earlier, you can put a router or firewall between the wireless network and the wired network providing a secure barrier between the unsecured wireless network and the secure wired network. WAPs support the standards we defined earlier; if you are using an 802.11b WAP then most 802.11b/g/n cards should be able to access them as they all operate on the same 2 GHz frequency. If you have an 802.11a access point you will need an 802.11a card as this is not in the same frequency as the other standards. There are a few access points that support both the 2 GHz and the 5 GHz range. They are rare and expensive. There are also routers that support wireless connections as well.