WAP, AP, Node, Extender, Gateway — they're all basically the same thing.
After 28 years of installs, the single biggest source of customer confusion is that every vendor uses different words for the same hardware. One tech says WAP, another says extender, the box says node, and the homeowner has no idea what they bought. This is the glossary that fixes it.
The 6 words for the same thing
WAP
Wireless Access Point. Industry-standard term. The radio that takes wired Ethernet and broadcasts Wi-Fi for your devices to connect to. Used most often by IT people and commercial installers.
AP
Shortened form of Wireless Access Point. Same thing. You'll see this in technical docs and on commercial gear (UniFi labels its hardware "AP").
Access Point
Long-form version of the above. Same thing. Slightly more consumer-friendly term — TP-Link Deco and Asus use this phrasing.
Node
Eero calls each Pro 7 or Max 7 unit a "node." Functionally identical to an AP. Sometimes used loosely for any mesh unit that isn't the gateway.
Extender
What old single-router systems called a Wi-Fi repeater. Modern mesh units are technically more capable than "extenders" — they can backhaul over Cat6 or a dedicated wireless band — but in casual conversation, people still call any add-on unit an "extender." If a tech says "extender," they probably mean AP.
Gateway
The FIRST unit in an Eero install — the one that plugs into your ISP modem and hands out IP addresses to the rest of the network. Same hardware as any other Pro 7 or Max 7 unit — it's just assigned the "first in line" role. In an enterprise install, the gateway might be a separate dedicated device, but in residential Eero, it's just the unit you set up first.
Related terms you'll see a lot
Mesh
How APs communicate with each other. Mesh doesn't mean wireless only. APs can mesh wirelessly OR mesh over wired backhaul (Cat6). Wired mesh is still mesh — and it's the better way to do it.
Backhaul
The connection between APs. Wired backhaul = Cat6 run between APs. Wireless backhaul = APs talk to each other over Wi-Fi. Wired backhaul beats wireless every time — on a gigabit plan, hardwired APs deliver ~600–700 Mbps wireless to clients. Wireless-meshed APs deliver only ~250–275 Mbps.
PoE (Power over Ethernet)
Method of running both data AND power to an AP over a single Cat6 cable. Eliminates the need for a separate wall outlet near each AP location. Used in pro installs where APs are ceiling-mounted. Eero PoE 6 is the Eero PoE-capable unit.
SSID
The name of a Wi-Fi network. "Smith Home Wi-Fi" is an SSID. Most homes have one main SSID + one guest SSID (Eero gives you both free). Multi-SSID setups for businesses (separate networks for staff, customers, POS) cost a small Eero subscription fee.
Band (2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz)
Wi-Fi runs on three radio bands. 2.4 GHz is slow but reaches far + penetrates walls best. 5 GHz is fast but shorter range. 6 GHz (added with Wi-Fi 6E) is the fastest, shortest range, least congested. Your AP serves all three; your devices pick whichever band gives the best signal.
MIMO (and the Pro 7 / Max 7 third antenna)
Multiple-Input Multiple-Output. The number of simultaneous radio streams an AP can handle. The Eero Pro 7 / Max 7 added a dedicated third MIMO antenna just for AP-to-AP communication — meaning mesh traffic isn't fighting your 2.4 and 5 GHz client traffic the way Wi-Fi 5 and older systems used to. Big 2026 performance jump.
Faraday cage materials (what kills Wi-Fi)
Some construction materials block RF almost completely. If you have any of these in your home, you'll need more APs than the manufacturer's square-footage claim suggests:
- Plaster mesh walls — every room with plaster mesh is essentially a Faraday cage. Whatever's in that room stays in that room.
- Brick and stone — interior brick walls eat signal.
- Metal pipes — especially radiant heat or hydronic heating systems.
- Multi-story with concrete or radiant-floor slabs — vertical signal is dead.
Standard drywall doesn't really count — RF passes through fine.
Rick's planning rule for AP count
Read the full method in the Wi-Fi hub or the Wi-Fi troubleshooter.