If you’re scoping a network upgrade for a school, college or university, three product categories come up again and again: access points, switches and routers. They’re often bought together, but they do very different jobs. Understanding the difference between an access point, a switch and a router makes it far easier to budget a project and avoid buying the wrong mix of equipment.
Here’s a plain-language breakdown, plus how the three layers fit together on a campus.
The short version
- Access point (AP): broadcasts Wi-Fi so phones, laptops and tablets can connect wirelessly.
- Switch: connects wired devices together inside a building and powers access points over the same cable.
- Router: connects different networks together — for example, your campus to the internet, or one building to another.
| Device | Connects | Wireless? | Powers APs? | Lives where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access point | End-user devices to the network | Yes | No | Ceilings, walls, outdoors |
| Switch | Wired devices and APs | No | Yes (PoE/PoE+) | Wiring closets / IDFs |
| Router | Networks to each other | No | No | Core / network edge |
Access points: the wireless front door
An access point is what students and staff actually connect to. Modern campus APs use Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) or Wi-Fi 6E, which are built to handle hundreds of devices in one room without slowing to a crawl.
Different spaces call for different APs:
- High-density rooms (lecture halls, libraries) need high-capacity ceiling units like the Aruba AP-515 or Cisco Catalyst 9120AXI.
- Residence rooms suit wall-plate “hospitality” units like the Aruba AP-503H.
- General coverage is well served by units like the Aruba AP-505 or Grandstream GWN7660.
Access points don’t work alone — every AP plugs into a switch.
Switches: the powered backbone inside a building
A network switch connects all the wired devices in a building: access points, desktop computers, IP phones, cameras and door controllers. On a campus, the most important feature is Power over Ethernet (PoE / PoE+), which lets the switch deliver electrical power and data to each access point over a single Ethernet cable. That means no electrician is needed at every ceiling location.
Switches come in two broad types:
- Layer 2 (L2) access switches connect devices within a network segment — for example, the cloud-managed Cisco Meraki MS220/MS225.
- Layer 3 (L3) switches can also route traffic between segments and are used to aggregate many access switches — for example, the Aruba 6200F or the stackable Aruba 3810M.
Routers: connecting the campus to the wider world
A router directs traffic between separate networks. On a campus, routers connect your buildings to the internet and link satellite sites — a downtown faculty, a sports complex, a remote residence — back to the main network. Integrated services routers such as the Cisco ISR 1121 and ISR 921 are common at branch and edge sites because they combine routing, security and WAN connectivity in one device.
How the three work together
Picture a single lecture building:
- Students connect their laptops to access points in each room.
- Every access point is cabled back to a PoE+ switch in the wiring closet, which powers it and carries its traffic.
- Those switches connect up to a Layer 3 switch or router, which moves traffic to the campus core and out to the internet.
Get any one layer wrong — under-powered switches, too few APs, an undersized router — and the whole experience suffers.
Building your mix
Most campus projects need all three categories sized to match the building. Run-DLJ stocks campus-grade equipment across the full DATA category, from Aruba, Cisco/Meraki and Grandstream. If you’re not sure how many of each you need, request a quote and we’ll help you scope it.
Frequently asked questions
Can a router replace a switch on a campus? No. A router connects networks together, while a switch connects many devices within a network and powers access points. Campuses need both.
What does PoE mean and why does it matter for schools? PoE (Power over Ethernet) lets a switch power a device, like an access point or camera, over the network cable. It removes the need for separate power at each ceiling location, which is a major time and cost saver in large buildings.
Is Layer 2 or Layer 3 better for a school network? Both have a place. Layer 2 access switches connect devices in wiring closets; Layer 3 switches route between segments and aggregate traffic. Smaller schools may only need L2 access switches plus a router, while larger campuses use L3 switches in the core.
Run-DLJ supplies access points, switches and routers for Canadian schools and campuses. Contact us to plan your network.
