WAP

How it works

• Connects by cable and sends Wi-Fi out.
• Several units share one set of settings.
• Firmware needs updating and the Wi-Fi password needs changing when people leave.
• Guests belong on a separate Wi-Fi.

What can go wrong (example scenario)

A four-person accounting office set up a WAP five years ago with WPA2 and a simple password printed on the wall. Former staff and a few neighbouring tenants still had it. Nobody had changed it because nobody knew how.

How WILDCARD handles it

Network covers the firewall, switch and on-premises authentication, and WAPs are part of that network. Keeping their firmware current, their passwords rotated and guests separated is the kind of work that card looks after.

• A dental office's older WAP needs replacing because it only supports WPA2 and crowds out newer devices.
• A law firm adds a WAP to a new boardroom and wants the same settings as the rest of the office.
• A non-profit's WAP has firmware from years ago and a known flaw.

Example scenario: A small physiotherapy clinic had three WAPs from three different years, each configured separately. Patients and staff had to pick which network to join depending on the room. Replacing them with three managed units under one configuration gave one network name across the building and one place to change the password.

A question owners ask

Is a WAP different from a router?

A router connects your network to the internet and assigns addresses. A WAP just adds Wi-Fi. Home routers bundle both; business networks keep them separate.