Security+: Technologies and Tools – Access Point

Introduction

Access points can provide organizations with an effective and convenient solution for their wireless and routing needs. Due to the rise in the use of this technology, and access point has been added to the material covered on the CompTIA Security+ certification exam. This article will explore the Security+ exam objectives regarding Access point technology.

What is an Access Point?

An Access point is a network device that can be used to provide wireless network connection as well as routing capabilities. Access points work on the Layer 2 data link layer of the OSI model and access points that can act as a data bridge connecting a wired network to wireless devices. Access points can also act as a router by passing data transmissions between different access points.

Although Access points can be either wired or wireless, the vast majority of Access points in use today are indeed wireless. Wireless access points consist of a transceiver, which is a transmitter and receiver device, used to form a wireless LAN. Access points are themselves network devices and are equipped with an antenna, adapter, and transmitter and use the wireless infrastructure network mode to provide the connection point between a wired Ethernet LAN and a WLAN. The standard set up for an Access points contain multiple network ports which, from my personal experience, can expand a network by at least four or five ports and some as many as fifteen.

Furthermore, Access points come an all shapes and sizes and can accommodate organizations according to the organization’s relative size and need. In the organization I work in, we use an Access point as a wireless solution that has generally demonstrated more reliable than standard wireless routers.

Security+ Exam Objectives

On the exam, candidates will be required to explain:

1. SSID
2. MAC filtering
3. (Read more...)