Difference between fat AP and thin AP

An AP (Access Point) is also known as a wireless bridge or a wireless gateway. The transmission mechanism of this wireless device is equivalent to a hub in a wired network, which continuously receives and transmits data in a wireless LAN; any PC with a wireless network adapter can share resources in a wired local area network or even a wide area network through an AP. Theoretically, when a Wireless AP is added to the network, the network coverage diameter can be multiplied, and more network devices can be accommodated in the network. Each Wireless AP basically has an Ethernet interface for wireless and wired connection.

The so-called "fat" AP in the industry should be called a wireless router. A wireless router is different from a pure AP. In addition to the wireless access function, it generally has two WAN and LAN interfaces. It supports DHCP server, DNS, and MAC address cloning, and security functions such as VPN access and firewall.

The terms "slim" and "fat" can be used in many aspects of access points (AP:

O some commercial thin APS represent only a few entry-level/residential products with advanced functions. In contrast, fat ap has many enterprise network functions, such as identification and SNMP-based management.

O some manufacturers use thin AP products that cannot be configured or used independently. Such products are only part of a WLAN switching system and are responsible for managing installation and operation. In this case, a fat ap is an independent AP, regardless of its function set.

O some manufacturers use thin AP to deliver selected tasks to the upper-Layer servers. These tasks, for example, communication with an 802.1X authentication server, generate an encryption key, as a VPN gateway, or for cross-Network Mobility re-routing, these functions can be executed by a fat ap without being forwarded to the upper-layer server.

Obviously, there are many different ways to combine and allocate AP functions; no matter how you plan to deploy it, thin and fat are just two extreme labels of a complex gradient process. My suggestion is to carefully understand the actual features of the products you want to buy, rather than being confused by thin or fat labels. For example, do you want to buy an AP from the same manufacturer? Instead, what if I want to use APS from different manufacturers? Do you really need to have functions such as vlan id, SNMP management, and VPN mobility in WLAN for your business activities?

Of course, when 802.1X is used, I still think it is good to share the task. For example, when there are many workstation groups between the encryption keys generated by the upper-layer server and the cached encryption keys, latency may be reduced-this is important for WLAN support for video or audio applications that are very sensitive to latency. To enhance communication and protect security, it is easier to use one device (one server) than to use many devices (separate AP. Therefore, using a server as your 802.1X Authenticator (for clients within the valid range) can prove to be more secure. But in the end, you must make a comprehensive balance between these benefits and your spending to determine what is best for your WLAN.