Wireless Access Points

Wireless Access Points questions

Which Wireless Access Points brands does Memory Clearance carry?

The most listed brands in Wireless Access Points are HPE, Fortinet, HP, Netgear, Juniper and SonicWall. Every listing names its manufacturer and part number, so you can search by either.

Are these Wireless Access Points products new or refurbished?

Both. Of the 5,420 listings, 3,177 state a condition: 2,562 are refurbished and 615 are new. The other 2,243 do not record one, so ask for it when you request a quote. The condition shown on a listing is the condition you receive.

How do I get a price on a Wireless Access Points part?

1,068 Wireless Access Points listings show a price you can order at. Items marked "Call for Price" have a Request for Quote button; send the part number and quantity and the sales team replies weekdays between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm PST.

How to choose a wireless access point

Start with what's missing: a single access point radio, a controller appliance, or a range extender. Of 4,278 listings with a stated product type, 3,873 are access points, 176 are wireless LAN controllers, 158 are range extenders and 71 are bridges. Memory Clearance carries 5,420 listings here from 49 brands, led by HPE, Fortinet, HP, Netgear and Juniper; 1,034 carry an online price, the rest a Request for Quote button. 605 state New and 2,480 state Refurbished (what each grade means); the remaining 2,335 carry no stated condition, so ask for it at quote.

Generation is next. The Wi-Fi Standard field spans 802.11n (392), 802.11ac (1,552) and 802.11ax (1,040), plus older 802.11b variants. 802.11ac shipped as Wave 1 and the later Wave 2, which added MU-MIMO and wider channels; that split isn't its own field here, so check the model name or spec sheet. 802.11ax covers Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E; Wi-Fi 7 is the newer 802.11be standard. Band support is separate: 3,548 listings support 2.4GHz ISM and 3,521 support 5GHz UNII; Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 add a third radio on 6GHz.

Indoor or outdoor is stated in the listing name, like the outdoor-rated HPE AP-587EX and AP-585EX versus the indoor-rated HPE AP-755; don't mount an indoor unit outside. Mount kits aren't assumed: the two 10-pack Aruba AP-725 listings ship with mount kits not included. Antenna count is recorded on 2,175 listings, from 118 with one antenna to 32 with eleven; two antennas is the largest single value, at 920. Internal antennas are built into the housing; an external-antenna model may not include the antennas, so check the photos.

Power comes next. 3,153 of 3,230 listings with a stated PoE field support Power over Ethernet; the rest need their own power brick. PoE runs three IEEE classes: 802.3af up to 15.4W, 802.3at (PoE+) up to 30W, 802.3bt (PoE++) up to 60W or 90W. A model's own draw, not its generation, sets the class needed, so check the rated class before wiring an older switch. An injector isn't assumed included: read the listing for what ships.

The distinction that catches people out is controller-based versus standalone. Cisco's own listings spell it out: the Aironet 1702i here is named "Controller-based", the Aironet 2602i and 702i "Standalone", and in Cisco's numbering "CAP" marks a controller-based model and "SAP" a standalone one. A controller-based or cloud-managed unit needs a wireless LAN controller or the vendor's cloud platform to adopt it before it serves Wi-Fi; a standalone unit needs neither. This category also carries 176 wireless LAN controller listings, separate from the 3,873 access points, so confirm which one a quote is for. A license or subscription to adopt a unit is set by the vendor, so confirm before ordering; don't assume a license on a used listing is transferable. Order by part number when you have one (how to read one), or send model numbers through a volume quote request.

Wireless access point buying questions

What's the difference between a controller-based and a standalone access point?

A controller-based access point needs a wireless LAN controller or a vendor cloud platform to adopt it before it serves Wi-Fi; Cisco's own naming shows this, with "CAP" models sold here as "Controller-based" and "SAP" models as "Standalone". A standalone unit manages itself with no controller. A license or subscription to adopt it is set by the vendor, so confirm before you order, and don't assume a license on a used listing is transferable.

What's the difference between Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E are both the 802.11ax standard; 6E adds a third radio on 6GHz alongside the usual 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Wi-Fi 7 is the newer 802.11be standard, also multi-band. The Wi-Fi Standard field just says "802.11ax" for both 6 and 6E, so check the model name, like the Aruba AP-635 for 6E or AP-725 for Wi-Fi 7.

Do I need 802.3at or 802.3bt power for these access points?

It depends on the model's own draw, not its generation. 802.3af delivers up to 15.4W at the source, 802.3at (PoE+) up to 30W, and 802.3bt (PoE++) up to 60W or 90W. A tri-radio Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 unit with a multi-gig port draws more than an older single-band 802.11n radio, so check the rated PoE class first.

Is a refurbished access point reliable to run in production?

Of the 5,420 listings here, 605 state New and 2,480 state Refurbished; condition doesn't change the wireless generation or PoE class printed on the part number, since those are fixed by the model. A listing states its condition where recorded; where it isn't, ask for it at quote. See what New and Refurbished mean here.