Editing Wi-Fi (section)

=== Multiple access points ===
[[File:802.11 Beacon frame.gif|thumb|Access points send out [[beacon frame]]s to announce the presence of networks.]]

An [[Extended Service Set]] may be formed by deploying multiple access points that are configured with the same SSID and security settings. Wi-Fi client devices typically connect to the access point that can provide the strongest signal within that service set.<ref>{{citation
|last=Edney
|first=Jon
|year=2004
|chapter=What is an ESS?
|title=IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee Meeting, July 2004
|location=Piscataway, New Jersey
|publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
|chapter-url=http://www.ieee802.org/21/doctree/2004_Meeting_Docs/2004-07_meeting_docs/21-04-0105-00-0000-what_ess.ppt
|page=8}}</ref>

Increasing the number of Wi-Fi access points for a network provides [[Redundancy (engineering)|redundancy]], better range, support for fast [[handover]], and increased overall network capacity by using more channels or by defining smaller [[cellular network|cells]]. Except for the smallest implementations (such as home or small office networks), Wi-Fi implementations have moved toward ''thin'' access points, with more of the [[network intelligence]] housed in a centralized network appliance, relegating individual access points to the role of dumb transceivers. Outdoor applications may use [[mesh networking|mesh]] topologies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newscutzy.com/windows/fix-wifi-connected-but-no-internet-access/|title=Fix WiFi Connected But No Internet Access On Windows 11/10/8/7|access-date=25 June 2020|publisher=newscutzy.com|date=3 December 2021|language=english|author=Mohsin Beg|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202339/https://newscutzy.com/windows/fix-wifi-connected-but-no-internet-access/|url-status=live}}</ref>