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Top 5 Best Small Business Wireless Access Points for 2024

You pin your hopes on a wireless network for a variety of activities within your small business. Thus, you require access points that are reliable and satisfy your internet requirements.

WAP (wireless access point) devices are playing a major role in fulfilling the networking needs of various businesses, industries, and home users. They solve issues such as slow connectivity, weak signals, poor Wi-Fi coverage, dead zones, and so on.

What is a Wireless Access Point (WAP)

A wireless access point (WAP), commonly referred to as an access point (AP), is a networking device that creates a Wireless Local Area Network (WAN) and enables Wi-Fi-compatible devices to connect to a wired network.

The WAP provides robust internet access to your devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, smart home devices, etc. It expands the range of a Wi-Fi router to give broad wireless coverage and eliminates dead spots, particularly in large houses, flats, outdoor areas, workplaces, and buildings.

Brands That Offer WAPs

There are a variety of brands that manufacture and provide the best wireless access points for businesses with unique features and capabilities, such as Netgear, Cisco, TP-Link, EnGenius, Ubiquiti Networks, Ruckus, Zyxel, Aruba Instant On, MikroTik, and so forth. But selecting one from these seems a hard nut to crack.

So, for your convenience, we’ve compiled our top 5 WAP recommendations in no particular order that you can trust for quality and performance. They are:

1. TP-LINK EAP660HD Wi-Fi 6 Access Point
2. ARUBA INSTANT ON AP22 Wi-Fi 6 Access Point
3. UBIQUITI UniFi 6 Pro Wi-Fi 6 Access Point
4. CISCO CBW240AC Wi-Fi 5 Access Point
5. ZYXEL NWA50AX Pro Wi-Fi 6 Access Point

All of these WAPs are regarded as enterprise-grade. We’ve chosen these to discuss with you because we approve of their performance and trust they’ll work well. Nevertheless, they all vary on the basis of some major factors that should be considered before selecting your desired WAP.

Factors to Ponder When Picking a WAP

Want to know what those factors are? They are speed, support, cloud control, MU-MIMO, security, and pricing. They help you get an access point that will suit your needs. So, when opting for a wireless access point, you should think about these factors:

Price It is one of the most important factors to figure out whether the vendor’s access point fits within your budget or not.
Support You may prefer swift wireless connectivity, but in case of any issue, you will require technical support from the team.
Speed Make sure that your internet service is compatible with your access point, so you’ll be paying exactly for what you’re using.
MU-MIMO Find out how many transmitters and receivers the access point has to know how data is sent and received by the WAP.
Cloud-controlled Technology Go for a wireless access point that features cloud-controlled technology and matches your objectives.
Security On top of that, the access point must offer security features like guest networks, restricting outsiders from accessing your data.

Now, let’s find out about the WAPs that we’ve listed in the previous section – How much do they cost? What features do they offer? And why should one plump for them?

Top 5 Small Business WAPs

Here, we’ve discussed regarding the top 5 small business wireless access points for the year 2024:

1. TP-LINK EAP660HD Wi-Fi 6 Access Point – Magnificent Wireless Capabilities

Excellent performance
Plenty of wireless technologies
Omada mesh
Multi-gigabit port

Average ability to handle devices
Below-par security

Wireless standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Speed capacity: 3600 Mbps
Device Capacity: Up to 46
Wi-Fi Range: Up to 2000 sq. ft.
Cost: $ 179.99

Reasons to buy EAP660HD

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line wireless access point for your small business or home office, TP-Link’s EAP660HD is worth considering. People with an already secured network system should consider this Wi-Fi 6 access point. It features incredible throughput, band steering, and Omada mesh and offers less signal drops or jitters.

Among the features are load balance, band steering, and airtime fairness, to relieve congested networks, to connect you to the speediest band automatically, and to ensure you get the most from your available data respectively.

TP-Link EAP660HD provides superb software and tech support. Using its Omada Cloud application, this AP can be accessed remotely with ease, even over the Internet. There’s a mobile app available for both iPhone and Android that is easy to use and is updated on daily basis when potential vulnerabilities are discovered.

It can seamlessly fulfill your bandwidth needs. Therefore, in spite of several connections, devices consuming bandwidth always win. Using beamforming technology, most areas of the space have stable signals. Besides, with OFDMA and MU-MIMO integration, it lets you connect up to 46 devices simultaneously. Further, you won’t have to face any lags or latencies while browsing, streaming, sending mails, etc.

2. Aruba Instant On AP22 Wi-Fi 6 Access Point – Best-in-class Security & Features

Mesh support
Built-in security
Great range and device-handling ability
Aruba Instant On app for quick & easy installation

Pricey

Wireless standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Speed capacity: 1800 Mbps
Device Capacity: Up to 75
Wi-Fi Range: Up to 2000 sq. ft.
Cost: $ 484.27

Reasons to buy AP22

Next is Aruba Instant On’s AP22. It is a fantastic 3-unit Wi-Fi 6 AP for all sizes of businesses with a powerful feature set, not to mention robust security. With all the features of a top-notch device, the AP meets every requirement. It offers smashing performance as well as immense range so you can smoothly perform high-end tasks, including streaming, gaming, and video conferencing, to name a few.

With three units, you can get a high throughput and a large area can be covered. In addition to that, it uses MU-MIMO technology, with which the connection it offers is seamless and dozens of devices can connect at the same time with no issues of signal drops. Aruba’s mobile and web app is extremely simple to use that allows you to set up the device straightforwardly, saving you a substantial amount of time. You can easily make changes to the network configuration without effort through its app and web portal.

The AP offers best-in-class security, such as WPA3 support and firewall functionality. As an added benefit, it can detect and eliminate malware, block malicious apps and sites, thus protecting your business. What’s more, you can entirely control the device using its app, making sure that nobody uses your internet without your permission.

3. UBIQUITI UniFi 6 Pro Wi-Fi 6 Access Point – Excellent Stability & PoE Support

Stable throughput
Adaptive QoS for traffic prioritization
Mesh technology
PoE support
Affordable

Weak security

Wireless standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Speed capacity: 5400 Mbps
Device Capacity: Up to 87
Wi-Fi Range: Up to 1500 sq. ft.
Band-wise speed: 4800 Mbps (5 GHz), 600 Mbps (2.4 GHz)
Cost: $ 167.95

Reasons to buy UniFi 6 Pro

Now, presenting you with a reliable and fast wireless access point for your small business and homes, UniFi 6 Pro. A few of its prominent and advanced features besides tremendous throughput are QoS, MU-MIMO, IP54 IP rating, and mesh support. Plus, it provides a satisfying array of security features, meeting your business needs.

One of its great features is support for PoE, which saves you space, funds, and resources. Further, it offers stupendous stability, letting you do a sundry of tasks without any potential lags or signal drop-offs. You can even attend 4K video conferences with no jitters while streaming multiple videos and playing games.

Added to it, the AP supports WPA3 security, along with guest network and guest traffic isolation, providing you with a more secure online experience. Moreover, to effortlessly set up UniFi 6 Pro, you can use its easy-to-use UniFi Network Controller software.

With its beamforming and MU-MIMO technology, it lets you connect up to 87 smart devices, and that number grows as you add more units. If you have a large office, you’ll need to add a second unit to the setup. By pairing both devices through mesh technology, you can ensure that no matter where you are in the office, you remain connected. If you’re looking for the best wireless routers, check out their latest range.

4. CISCO CBW240AC-B Wi-Fi 5 Access Point – Enterprise-Grade Security

Powerful security features
Decent speeds
Great range with mesh support
Easy to install with its Cisco app

Outdated Wi-Fi standard, i.e., Wi-Fi 5

Wireless standard: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Speed capacity: 1733 Mbps
Device Capacity: Up to 125
Wi-Fi Range: Up to 3000 sq. ft.
Band-wise speed: 1300 Mbps (5 GHz), 433 Mbps (2.4 GHz)
Cost: $ 157.99

Reasons to buy CBW240AC-B

Then comes Cisco’s CBW240AC-B, which is a very affordable access point jam-packed with functionality for small to mid-sized businesses. This Wi-Fi 5-enabled AP is a perfect choice for those who don’t want to spend much but still need a reliable AP to manage devices smoothly and keep their assets safe and secure.

Configuring CBW240AC-B is a breeze. Using its intuitive mobile app, you can set up and manage it easily within minutes while saving time and money. Apart from that, its deployment is even more unchallenging. With its enterprise-grade security features, it makes a mark amongst the secured APs out there by protecting your network from the menaces of phishing, malware, and other risks. Furthermore, the speeds that it offers are ideal for 4K Zoom calls, online presentations, and other high-bandwidth tasks. Besides, with MU-MIMO technology, it can fluently handle a maximum of 125 devices like smartphones, laptops, computers, etc.

The AP sports a powerful quad-core CPU. Plus, it features beamforming support, which grants stable signals and does not produce much lag, boosting your small workplace’s productivity. But if you have a larger workplace, you can always add a second unit to the setup and create a mesh network.

5. ZYXEL NWA50AX PRO Wi-Fi 6 Access Point – Best Budget & High Performance

PoE+ support
Great speeds
WPA3 & L2 isolation security
Multi-gigabit port
Affordable

Limited device handling
Networking features

Wireless standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Speed capacity: 3000 Mbps
Device Capacity: Up to 35
Wi-Fi Range: Up to 2000 sq. ft.
Band-wise speed: 2401 Mbps (5GHz), 574 Mbps (2.4GHz)
Cost: $ 167.95

Reasons to buy NWA50AX PRO

Another one is Zyxel’s NWA50AX PRO, which is a moderately-priced option for small businesses, SoHo, and home offices. If they are in search of a budget-friendly Wi-Fi 6 access point featuring multi-gigabit connectivity, Zyxel’s NWA50AX could be their ideal option, as it supports more connected devices plus apps with flying speeds.

It is equipped with 3x high-gain antennas that skyrocket Wi-Fi signals and expand coverage, especially to previously hard-to-reach locations. It has a dual-band, MU-MIMO antenna configuration and delivers up to 3000 Mbps data rates.

Added to it, this AP saves cost as it is powered by PoE+ and is easy to configure and install in a small restaurant, home office, or retail store. Because of its trouble-free configuration, you can effortlessly set up a network in minutes either via a default IP address on your browser, password, or user ID or via the cloud-based Nebula app.

Not only that, it has a 2.5 Gbps PoE port for premium multi-gigabit Ethernet connections. Plus, it is considered an outstandingly secured AP due to WPA3 personal and L2 isolation. Even though it does not offer QoS technology, it is still capable of handling 4K video calls without jittering or slowing down. Moreover, it makes tasks such as browsing the web, sending an email, and others easy-breezy.

All the above WAPs have some unique features that stand them out from the others. Some deliver fantastic performance, some feature marvelous security, while some are budget-friendly. To make things easy for you, we have summarized the key factors of the WAPs in the following section.

A Quick Overview of WAPs

All WAPs feature wireless standard Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), except Cisco, which features Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
The affordable WAPs are Zyxel, Cisco, and Ubiquiti, while Aruba Instant On is the most expensive one, yet jam-packed with loads of features.
TP-link and Ubiquiti offer weak security, Cisco and Zyxel offer excellent security, while robust security is only offered by Aruba Instant On.
In terms of overall performance, TP-Link, Aruba Instant On, Ubiquiti, and Zyxel are great choices to make.
According to the above analysis, the best Wi-Fi 6 access point is Zyxel, as it’s not only reasonably priced but also offers splendid speeds along with impressive security.

Now that you have learned everything, about each of the best small business wireless access points for 2024 – It’s time to choose the most suitable WAP. But how would you pick a wireless access point from the top 5 ones?

Choosing the Right WAP

Would you pick the one that everybody is using? The one that is costing an arm and a leg? Or the one that is loaded with features, even though most of the features are not needed? Well, it doesn’t matter which brand is the most expensive or has made a name for itself in the world of wireless access points. What matters the most is that whatever AP you go for, it should solely be based on your individual use case, budget, and the features you need the most.

Closing Thoughts

So, there you have it. We hope that from the top 5 WAPs, you can confidently pick the one that perfectly suits your small business needs - Nonetheless if you’re still bemused about what access points you should opt for, you can seek our assistance.