A wireless local area network (WLAN) association method and device and a central access point (AP), where the method includes receiving, by the central AP, a plurality of association requests, where the plurality of association requests are from at least two APs, and the plurality of association requests have a same basic service set identifier (BSSID), selecting, by the central AP, one association request from the plurality of association requests as a to-be-replied association request, and sending, by the central AP, a first association response to a to-be-associated AP, where the first association response is a reply to the to-be-replied association request, and the to-be-associated AP is an AP in the at least two APs that sends the to-be-replied association request. Only a to-be-associated AP provides a service for a terminal such that a possibility of conflict occurrence is reduced.