I'm trying to learn about different types of Wireless setups. As I understand it:

1. Single Access point as part of a router/firewall/switch device <- what most ISPs set you up with by default

2. Multiple access points that all connect to switch via cable <- similar to connecting the devices via ethernet, all of the traffic from the APs to the switch is transmitted via the cable

3. Multiple APs using Wireless meshing. One "main" AP (which is often also the router/firewall in a SOHO setup) is connected via ethernet/fiber to the ISP. The satellite APs connect to each other, or simply back to the main AP, via WiFi. A "shared" backhaul uses the same radios it uses to talk to the client devices, and devices with a dedicated backhaul have another set of radios specifically for the trip back to the main AP/router.

4. PTP, which I haven't really made an earnest effort to understand.

Do I more or less have a reasonable understanding of the basics?

2 and 3 are not mutually exclusive.

Really it can simply be mixed all together, also the AP for PtP can also act as access point for other devices...

I prefer regardless, to separate my router from my wifi devices, so for example, all my access points are business access points that can accept and handle multiple vlans and ssids.

Thanks for the replies.

Suppose I have a router/switch and 4 different APs throughout the building. All of the APs are connected via ethernet to the switch/router, and all have the same SSID + Authentication.

What happens if a user is, for example, using their cellphone to make a VOIP call, and they wander outside the range of AP #1 and into the range of AP #2? Is the connection lost, at least temporarily, and then the VOIP call disconnects?

First chain users to chairs...... second its not the AP its the device that normally decides to switch............. Not sure about mesh setups though

Not sure about mesh setups though

Mesh setups as well. If they properly support 802.11r/k/v (also for inter-AP handovers), then clients may roam nicely. If they don't (and likely they don't, why should they be any better than CAPsMAN networks in that aspect?), then client's won't roam nicely, they'll still disconnect from one AP and properly connect to another, with a second or three of silent period to negotiate ciphering etc. The bigger problem is to make client to change over soon after another AP (serving same SSID) becomes better ... 802.11k helps with that, faster ciphering negotiation (supported by 802.11r) is often minor improvement in comparison.