Short answer: your network needs exactly one router. An access point adds Wi-Fi to that network but doesn’t run it. If you can run an Ethernet cable to the area with weak Wi-Fi, an access point there is one of the most reliable ways to extend coverage.

What a router does

A router connects your home network to the internet and manages it: it hands out local addresses (DHCP), translates them to your single public address (NAT), and runs the firewall. Most home routers also have Wi-Fi built in. For how the modem and router split the work, see modem vs router.

What an access point does

An access point only provides Wi-Fi. TP-Link describes access point mode as turning a wired connection into a Wi-Fi network. It relies on your main router for everything else: ASUS says that in AP mode the firewall, IP sharing and NAT functions are switched off, and the primary router or modem has to provide DHCP.

Using a spare router as an access point

Many routers can switch into AP mode, which is a good use for an old one. Expect several features to disappear, because the main router now handles them. NETGEAR, for example, lists the guest network, port forwarding, parental controls, VPN and QoS among the features unavailable in AP mode. Configure those on your main router instead.

An access point needs a cable back to the main router. ASUS’s setup uses a wired connection to the primary router, with Ethernet runs of no more than 100 m.

Which one do you need?

  • Your provider’s gateway already routes. NETGEAR’s advice is to put an ISP gateway into bridge mode when it supports it, and run your own router in router mode, rather than putting your router in AP mode behind the gateway.
  • You want more coverage and can cable. Add access points. NETGEAR describes AP mode as running on the same network as the existing router to expand wireless coverage.
  • You can’t cable. Choose mesh: see mesh Wi-Fi vs router vs extender and mesh backhaul explained.

Whichever you choose, give every access point the same network name and password as the main router. Apple recommends a single network name across all bands and access points. Place each one with the same care as the router itself: see where to put your router.