WAPs

The term WAPs can refer to multiple concepts. In networking, it most commonly stands for Wireless Access Points (WAPs), devices that extend a wired network by providing wireless connectivity to client devices. They connect to a wired backbone via Ethernet and create a wireless LAN using radio standards.

In practice, wireless access points can be standalone units or part of a managed deployment using a controller. They support multiple IEEE 802.11 standards (such as a/b/g/n/ac/ax), operate in infrastructure mode, and may offer features like Power over Ethernet (PoE), multiple SSIDs, guest access, VLAN tagging, and RF management.

The abbreviation WAP also refers to Wireless Application Protocol, a mobile data access standard from the 1990s that allowed basic Internet access on mobile devices through a WAP gateway and WML markup. It is largely obsolete today as smartphones use full web protocols.

Security considerations include using modern encryption standards such as WPA2 or WPA3, strong authentication, disabling open networks where possible, and securing management interfaces; network administrators implement centralized controls, network segmentation, and regular firmware updates.

Deployment considerations include planning coverage, selecting non-overlapping channels, managing interference, and assessing whether to use standalone APs, controller-based networks, or mesh configurations depending on the environment and user density.