Access Point

An access point connects users to other users within the network and also can serve as the point of interconnection between the WLAN and a fixed wire network.

Each access point can serve multiple users within a defined network area, as people move beyond the range of one access point, they are automatically handed over to the next one. A small WLAN may only require a single access point; the number required increases as a function of the number of network users and the physical size of the network.