A repeater access point transmits network signals to and from devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN) and can increase the range of a WLAN. It combines the functions of a repeater and an access point in one unit. Repeaters rebroadcast frames of the radio signal they receive, but adding more repeaters can decrease efficiency. A two-channel repeater access point is slightly faster than a single-channel device.
An access point transmits radio frequency (RF) waves to devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN). To provide more range to a WLAN, a repeater accepts the signal, duplicates it, then retransmits the signal. In a repeater access point, the repeater works in conjunction with the access point by transmitting network signals to and from a user of a network device. The different functions are performed in the same unit. While they typically cost less, repeaters are rarely sold separately at electronics stores, as they are often sold together with access points in one package.
Internet access via wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) allows people to get online from home desktop computers, laptops, and even cell phones and other types of mobile devices. The web can be reached from anywhere in the home or office with a wireless access point, and the distance from which a computer can access the network is increased by using a device that is a repeater access point. A repeater rebroadcasts frames of the radio signal it receives, so areas of an office or home are within range of a network that they normally wouldn’t be.
Repeaters have the ability to locate access points that are within a certain radius of them. This is the advantage of a repeater access point device because the signal repeater and the access capability are contained in the same product. Most access points have a repeater mode, where a user can set the repeater service set identifier (SSID) to match the access point, or this can be done automatically for the two to work together . The system that does this is a repeater access point that works similar to a wireless bridge, connecting parts of the network. The access point alone is suitable for networks that use only one protocol, but the bridge can connect areas using several.
The downside to what is a repeater access point is that the signals are each doubled over the same RF channel, so you can typically send twice as much data as without a repeater. The more repeaters added to the network, the less efficient it is. To increase efficiency, signals can be transmitted on one channel and others on another. Any system consisting of more than two channels, however, is expensive considering the needs of a home or small office. A two-channel repeater access point is slightly faster than a single-channel device, which is a feature a user may want to consider when setting up a network.
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