Are wireless routers and wireless Access Points the same thing?
Almost, but not quite. Both of them provide wireless access to the local area network. However… Wireless routers do two things. First, they connect your local network to the network of your internet service provider (ISP) via a cable modem or other high-speed modem. Second, they provide wired and wireless access to the LAN (and the internet) for all your local clients. APs only do one thing: they allow wireless network clients to connect to the LAN. APs usually connect to the router by cable.
