While planning for your wireless network you might be request what is the inequity in the middle of a router and an way point. You need to think of a router as more of a server because it performs many functions like a server. An way point only provides a portal for wireless client to associate to your existing Lan.
Routers can perform many functions. Routers can associate many different Wlans together acting like a traffic cop. Routers also act as a Dhcp server. A Dhcp server assigns dynamic Ip address to your computer every time your computer starts up. If you don't have a Dhcp server then you will have to assign each computer on your network a permanent Ip address.
As I have said before your router can also act like a traffic cop. You can use a router to perform port forwarding to inescapable computers on your Lan. For example you can direct all internet traffic seeing for your game server's port amount to a definite computer on your Lan.
The ability to associate many computers to the internet is one of the main features of a router. The router is assigned one Wan Ip address from your Isp. This Ip address is called a group Ip address that everybody on the internet can see. Because you have many computers related to your router the router uses a protocol called Nat Network address translation Nat will assign the computers that are behind your routers Ip address, underground Ip addresses. Nat acts as a firewall because computers on the internet cannot in system even see your computers. They will only see the Ip address of your router. Nat does block traffic from reaching your computers but it will not block Trojans from going out to the internet. That is why I do propose installing a firewall on your Lan computers.
The role of an way point on a Lan is to give the wireless user a door way to enter. The more people that enter the door at the same time the slower they will go. 802.11b way points say they will give you a through put rate of 11mps but the actual rate is around 5Mps. 802.11g has a rating of 54mbps with an actual through put of 20mbps. The way points do have most of the same security features as a router such as Wep, Wpa, 8021x and Tkpi but they will not have the traffic cop functions like a router. Also the way points will not have Nat which would add an unnecessary layer to your network. To keep it easy way points just simulate plugging in your laptop to a port in the wall and that's it.A router is used on the border of you network to act as a traffic cop deciding who can come in and blocking those you want to keep out.
Wireless Networking - Router Vs way Point