Moving from wireless router to access points

[JohnGage]

Our office is expanding and we need wireless in places where a single router can't reach.  In the interest of "doing it right" I'm looking at running Ethernet and installing wireless access points.  I need help with a basic question, what are the access points connected to?  I'm envisioning some sort of access point controller but haven't been able to find anything that clearly explains what that device is.

[Mark]

Access points can connect directly to a switch.  You can get just access points, or you can get access points and a controller.

[JohnGage]

Access points can connect directly to a switch.  You can get just access points, or you can get access points and a controller.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.  If I'm ok with the access point being just like a workstation on the LAN I could go straight to the switch.  If I want the access points to be off the LAN I would connect to a controller off the LAN IP range. ??

[Mark]

What you'd want to do is create VLANs on the access point and on the switch if you want separate networks.  For example, I have a single access point her in the office that has two SSIDs: one runs on the native VLAN which is the production network and requires 802.11x radius authentication, and the other is on a separate VLAN that uses a separate subnet, WPA2-PSK, and client isolation.  The switch port is also configured for the VLANs.

The controller is for additional features and management of multiple access points.  i've never used one so I can't even list off the features that they have besides being a central administration point for all APs.

Make sense?

[Bloody Jack Kidd]

+1 mark - VLAN your wireless for sure.

[JohnGage]

Thank you for the help.  I need to firm up my understanding of VLAN and the rest but knowing I don't HAVE to have a special controller eases my fear.