Most wireless routers today are a combination of multiple features in one box: a router, a wireless access point, a basic firewall, and a small Ethernet switch. You plug your modem into the router ...

This is especially useful for businesses whose networks cover a large area. Linksys routers have a bridge mode that makes it relatively simple to convert a standard router into a network bridge.

Unlike routers, access points (APs) are not capable of managing a network or communicating with the internet. Instead, an access point is used to extend the wireless coverage of an existing network.