I read about WLAN devices and Access points in "CCNA Routing and Switching guide" but still I am not able to figure out the difference between them. Both seems same to me, both are used to connect wireless devices to wired network. The definitions are like this:
WLAN devices: These devices connect wireless devices such as computers, printers, and tablets to the network. Since pretty much every device manufactured today has a wireless NIC, you just need to configure a basic access point(AP) to connect to a traditional wired network.
Access Point: These devices allow wireless devices to connect to a wireless network and extend a collision domain from a switch, and are typically in their own broadcast domain or what we'll refer to as Virtual LAN(VLAN). An AP can be a simple standalone device, but today they are usually managed by wireless controllers either in house or through internet.
And one more question, what is the difference between WLAN devices and WLAN controllers?
I will be glad if somebody can clear things up.