First talk about the concept of AP-AP is short for Access Point, that is, wireless access point, its role is to compile the wired signal (ie electrical signal) transmitted through the twisted pair in the LAN and convert it into a radio The signal is transmitted to wireless terminals such as computers and mobile phones. At the same time, the wireless signals sent by these wireless terminals are converted into wired signals and transmitted in the local area network through twisted pair cables. In this way, wireless coverage is formed, that is, wireless local area network. We usually say AP, referring to the thin AP below.
One, what ap, how to distinguish between fat and thin ap?
Wireless APs can usually be divided into two types: Fat AP (Fat AP) and Thin AP (Fit AP). They are not distinguished by appearance, but by their working principles and functions. Of course, some fat and thin APs can be distinguished in appearance. For example, those with a WAN port must be fat APs.
The so-called "fat" refers to a device with complete functions and capable of working independently; while the so-called "slim" refers to a functionally thin body that cannot work independently and needs to be connected to the "brain" that controls it to work .
In addition to the aforementioned wireless access functions, fat APs generally have WAN and LAN ports at the same time, and support DHCP server, DNS and MAC address cloning, VPN access, firewall and other security functions. Fat AP usually has its own complete operating system, which is a network device that can work independently and can realize functions such as dialing and routing. A typical example is our common wireless router.
A fat AP is simply an AP with management functions. A fat AP is an AP that has management functions and broadcasts the SSID and is also connected to the terminal. It belongs to the type of sparrow that is small and complete. of.
Thin AP, the visual understanding is to thin the fat AP, remove the routing, DNS, DHCP server and many other loaded functions, and only keep the wireless access part. The AP we often say refers to this kind of thin AP, which is equivalent to a wireless switch or hub, and only provides a wired/wireless signal conversion and wireless signal reception/transmission function. As a component of the wireless LAN, the thin AP cannot work independently. It must cooperate with the management of the AC to become a complete system.
The smart AP does not have a management function. It can be simply understood as an antenna for signal transmission and reception. Its management function is completed by the back-end, we call the wireless controller (AC).
Thin APs can’t manage themselves and require AC to manage them. Thin APs are only responsible for broadcasting SSIDs and connecting terminals. Generally, fat APs are used for ultra-small-scale networking, while thin APs are used for larger networks.
The main reason for this is that when there are many wireless routers, large enterprises deploy wireless coverage in a campus. It is normal to have hundreds of wireless routers, but it is very troublesome to manage. Configure the home routers one by one. It is much more convenient and efficient to be managed by AC.
A high-end wireless controller (AC) can manage hundreds or thousands of wireless APs, and the configuration can be configured at a time. The configuration can be centralized and delivered) Enterprise-class wireless APs can actually be converted from fat to thin, and different The software can be realized, but it is meaningless in the case of large-scale deployment.
2. The advantages and disadvantages of fat and thin AP networking
What are the networking solutions for fat AP and thin AP? What are the advantages and disadvantages? We explain and compare in detail through the following aspects.
1. Networking scale and application scenario
Fat AP is generally used in the construction of small wireless networks and can work independently without the cooperation of AC. Generally used in homes, small businesses, or small office scenarios that require only a small amount to be fully covered.
Thin APs are generally used in the construction of medium and large wireless networks, with a certain amount of AP cooperates with AC products to build a larger wireless network coverage. The usage scenarios are generally shopping malls, supermarkets, scenic spots, hotels, restaurants and entertainment, corporate offices, etc.
2. Wireless roaming
Fat AP networking cannot achieve wireless roaming. When a user walks from the coverage area of one fat AP to the coverage area of another fat AP, he will reconnect to a fat AP with a strong signal, re-authenticate, and re-obtain an IP address, and the network is disconnected.
When the user walks from the coverage area of one thin AP to the coverage area of another thin AP, the signal will be automatically switched, and there is no need to re-authenticate or re-obtain the IP address. The network is always online and easy to use.
3. Automatic load balancing
When many users are connected to the same fat AP, the fat AP cannot automatically load balance the users to other fat APs with lighter load, so the fat AP will Network failures frequently occur because of heavy load.
In the AC+ thin AP networking, when many users are connected to the same thin AP, the AC will automatically allocate users to other APs with lighter loads according to the load balancing algorithm, reducing the AP’s The failure rate improves the availability of the entire network.
4. Management and maintenance
Fat APs cannot be centrally managed. They need to be configured individually, which is cumbersome. Thin APs can work with AC products for centralized management without separate configuration. Especially when there are a large number of APs, the advantages of centralized management are obvious.
In summary, although the AC+ thin AP networking mode has many of the above benefits, in the case of small-scale networking, many users such as restaurants, cafes, 4S shops, inns, beauty salons, gyms, etc., will be based on For cost reasons, I chose to use several fat APs to provide customers with WiFi. The result is that although WiFi is available, the user experience is not good, and it is unable to add points to its own services. In many cases, it even reduces points, making customers unwilling to visit again.
It can be seen from the above that the networking schemes of fat APs are rarely used at present, which are basically AC+AP networking modes, and the receiving AP must be used in conjunction with the AC controller.
Third, the difference between fat AP and thin AP
Thin AP is similar to "thin PC" and generally adopts a separate layout. Due to the large number of APs, in order to facilitate management, AC is generally used use together. Simply say that there are 50 thin APs in one unit and one building. Just imagine changing the WiFi password. If you change it one by one like a home wireless router, it is very annoying. AC can achieve centralized management, instead of logging into the management interface one by one to manage individually.
Fat AP: Sky-fed coverage
Thin AP: Ceiling wireless AP coverage
Thin AP: Panel wireless AP covers
Advantages and disadvantages of fat AP and thin AP:
Wireless WiFi In multiple wireless APs, only channels 1, 6, and 11 will not interfere with each other, which means that there can only be 3 APs in an area. The thin AP adopts a separate layout and can be installed with several more, which is more flexible. However, the biggest problem with APs is that the 2.4G frequency band is too crowded. There can only be a limit of 3 APs in an area. Installing a few more thin APs will interfere with each other and affect usage. It can be said that it is not the fat and thin fault, it is the 2.4G frequency band that is too crowded.
Then the 5G frequency band is relatively less crowded. . .
