Access Point (AP)

Encountered at Enlighted, playing around with the ESP32.

A wireless access point enable you to connect to the internet.

In Computer Networking an AP is a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network.

As a standalone device, the AP may have a wired connection to a router, but, in a wireless router, it can also be an integral component of the router itself.

Difference with Hotspot?

AP = physical location where Wi-Fi access is available Hotspot = software enabled access to the internet

https://www.windowscentral.com/whats-difference-between-access-point-ap-mode-and-router-mode