What is WDS in the TP Link router. WDS and how to configure the wireless system

WDS (Wireless Distribution System) is a technology that allows you to combine several routers into one network without using wires.

The technology is ideal in cases where you need to combine the main part of the local network with its remote segment: for example, if a remote segment is located in the neighboring office (or in the office, which is visible, for example, through the window).

As already noted, the main plus WDS is the ability to connect network segments (routers) without wires. But there is a minus drop in the network. This is due to the fact that the routers combined with a wireless bridge should use one common channel.

So, we have two router:

The first connects to the Internet (or network with Internet access) and creates a Wi-Fi network. Let's call it, the "main station".

The second is installed in the place where it is necessary to "deliver" our network. Devices can be connected to it (called "customers") both wireless and wired network. We will call it a "remote station".

If the main and remote stations are at a great distance from each other, and the signal disappears or weakens much, then between them is another device. This is a router (or access point) that can operate in repeater mode Repeater or Range Extender wireless signals. It will be our "relay station". There may be several them.

Practical implementation

Let's try to build our network on three devices.

As a primary and remote station, we use TL-WR841ND-dual-band Wi-Fi router (300Mbps, 1 WAN, 4 LAN port).

In the role of the relay station TL-WA830RE- a two-way access point (300Mbps, 1 LAN port).

We connect via LAN, go to 192.168.0.1 and configure the Internet on WAN port. Go to the Wireless Settings tab.

Indicate the network name, we will have, for example, Basic_Station. We definitely assign a specific channel: in our example there will be a channel number 1.

On the Wireless Security tab, select Encryption and enter the key. We save and reboot.

We connect our repeater with the Wire, go to the Web Interface: By default, 192.168.0.254.

In the Operation Mode point, select Range Extender, in the Mac OF AP field, enter the address of our main station. Or press the SURVEY button, we find our network (Basic_Station) and click Connect. We save and reboot.

We go to 192.168.0.1, to the Wireless Settings tab, enter the network name. This network will call EXT_STATION. Please note that on a remote station, the wireless network is best called differently. This is done so that the client is connected in the zone of the remote station to wireless network The main station, could move without breaking the connection all over the entire Wi-Fi area.

We specify the channel explicitly, we have a channel 1. Turn on WDS, for this, mark "Enable WDS Bridging"

Press the Survey button, we find our network (Basic_Station), click Connect.

Below, in the "Key Type" field, select our type of encryption, and in the Password field, enter a network key (created by the main station-Basic_Station). Store and on the Wireless Security tab, specify the type of encryption and the key to the wireless network created by this router network Ext_station.

We stayed last step. Both router is the main and remote stations, have the same IP. Also, both routers have a DHCP server. This will lead to a conflict of addresses.

Therefore, on the "DHCP SETTINGS" tab, turn off DHCP

On the "LAN" tab in the "IP Address" field change the address at 192.168.0.2

We save and reboot.

Now, if we need to go to the "remote" station and correct some settings, you will need to use a new IP address: 192.168.0.2. Distribution of addresses throughout the network will be engaged in the "main station" (first router).

The network is configured, check!

It should be noted that the use of WDS is justified when the network is not high-loaded, and total number customers do not exceed 25-30. If customers are more, you will have to use the wireless network controller.

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Distribution System) decrypt as a "distributed wireless system". In this mode, access points are connected only among themselves, forming a bridge connection. In this case, each point can be connected to several other points. All points in this mode should use the same channel, so the number of points involved in the formation of the bridge should not be excessively large. Customer connection is carried out only via a wired network via UPLink ports of points (Fig. 4.11).

Wireless bridge mode, similar to wired bridges, serves to combine subnets in general Network . With the help of wireless bridges, you can combine wired LANs, both in neighboring buildings and at a distance of several kilometers. This allows you to combine branches and a central office on the network, as well as connect customers to the Internet provider network (Fig. 4.12).

The wireless bridge can be used where the cable laying between buildings is undesirable or impossible. This solution Allows you to achieve significant savings and ensures ease of configuration and configuration flexibility when moving offices.

To the access point operating in the mode of the bridge, the connection of wireless clients is impossible. Wireless connection It is carried out only between the pair of points that implement the bridge.

Term WDS WITH AR. (WDS with Access Point) means "Distributed Wireless System, including Access Point", i.e. Using this mode, you can not only organize a bridge between access points, but also connect client computers at the same time (Fig. 4.13). This allows you to achieve substantial equipment savings and simplify the network topology. This technology Supported by most modern access points.

Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that all devices in the composition of one WDS WITH AP operate at one frequency and create mutual interference, which limits the number of customers to 15-20 nodes. To increase the number of connected clients, you can use several WDS -sets configured to different non-varying channels and connected by wires via UPLink ports.

The topology of the organization of wireless networks in WDS mode is similar to conventional wired topologies.

Topology type "tire"

The topology of the type "tire" itself involves the identity of network equipment of computers, as well as equality of all subscribers (Fig. 4.14).

Fig. 4.14.Topology type "tire"

There is no central subscriber through which all the information is transmitted, which increases its reliability (because if anyone fails to function, the system managed by this center). Add new subscribers in the bus is quite simple. You need to enter the parameters of the new access point, which will only lead to a short-term reboot of the last point.

The bus is not afraid of the failures of individual points, since all other network computers can normally continue the exchange among themselves, but the remaining part of the computers cannot access the Internet.

Topology type "Ring"

"Ring" is a topology in which each access point is connected only with two others (Fig. 4.15). There is no clearly dedicated center in this case, all points may be the same.

Connecting new subscribers in the "ring" is usually very easy, although it requires a mandatory stop of the operation of two extreme points from a new access point.

At the same time, the main advantage of the ring is that the relaying of the signals by each subscriber can significantly increase the size of the entire network as a whole (sometimes up to several tens of kilometers). The ring in this regard significantly exceeds any other topologies.

Topology connections Between points in this mode is an acyclic column type "tree", that is, data from the Internet from point 4 to point 2 pass through two directions - through point 1 and 3 (Fig. 4.15). To eliminate unnecessary connections that can lead to the appearance of cycles in the column, the algorithm is implemented Spanning Tree.. Its use allows you to identify and block extra communication. When changing the network topology - for example, due to the disconnection of some points or the impossibility of the operation of the channels - the algorithm Spanning Tree. It starts anew, and before the blocked extra communication can be used instead of the failed.

Fig. 4.15.Topology type "Ring"

So, how to increase the range of your network? Of course, with the help of DD-WRT and WDS 🙂

Ingredients: 2 router with DD-WRT, straight hands, good mood and of course this instruction.

W. wi-Fi settings Repeaters There are at least three or four schemes, two of which we will analyze. The first is Access Point (AP) to Access Point, the second is in the repeater mode.

IN first The method appears several networks, respectively, if necessary, clients at a distance from the first access point can be switched to the second. In second The same case is the main AP, the rest play the role of repeaters (REPEATER MODE). That is, the network is one, but at the expense of repeaters it is significantly expanding and customers are imperceptibly switching between them.

Scheme 1:

So setting up first schemes:

1) We go to the web interface of the first (main) router (let's call it ap1), click there Wireless.. Choose type - Mixed., Channel - sixth (It is important that AP1 and AP2. Was same canal, so works more stable). On the second router (AP2.) settings should be similar, except SSID..

3) Now configure AP2.. To begin with, in the section Setup Wan Connection Type Put Disable.

5) B. Network Setup. - IP 192.168.1.2, Mask 255.255.255.0 and gateway IP. AP1. In put Diazon, different from AP1 (there 100, and here 200) and we prescribe DNS'y 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, after which you remove the daw with USE DNSMASQ FOR DNS. On this section Setup. Set up.

Ready! 🙂 Now we have two Ap.which relay friend friend 🙂

Scheme 2:

Now setting second schemes:

In principle, everything is configured almost the same, with the exception of steps 1 and 5. All other steps of the setup will remain exactly the same. Regarding step 1 settings on the main Ap. remain the same but on AP2. Different:

As you see, the parameters are the same, but differ in the parameter Wireless Mode..

Step 5: on AP2. We go to Setup -\u003e Network Address Server Settings (DHCP) -\u003e and parameter DHCP TYPE MAKE DHCP FORWARDERwhere you specify IP AP1In our case, it is 192.168.1.1.

All now our WDS-Set customized according to the scheme 2. Good luck! 🙂

Detailed step-by-step instruction By setting up the WDS function on the TP-LINK TL-WR841ND router to combine two Wi-Fi networks. You will learn how to connect your router to a wireless network of another router and distribute it to the Internet. Suppose it catches a signal to someone else's Wi-Fi network near the window, but in the depths of the room it is no longer possible to connect to it. You can install a router on the windowsill, connect to it with WDS and distribute the Internet to your devices in an apartment or office. Screenshots are made on the example of the TL-WR841ND router hardware version V8. But, this instruction will help when configuring WDS and on other similar tP-LINK routers, such as TL-WR740N, TL-WR741ND and others. The settings are almost the same.

What is WDS and why it is necessary

WDS (Wireless Distribution System) - This is a technology that allows your router to connect to the Wi-Fi network of another router and distribute the Internet. Those. and connection and distribution are performed using Wi-Fi module. WAN I. LAN ports may not be used at all. Correspondingly, to combine two wireless networks using WDS, routing is not needed.

When it is worth applying the WDS function

First, WDS technology is worth trying if you cannot configure the signal relay in the "" mode. For example, the network is unstable (the repeater is disconnected from the main router network).

Secondly, the Universal Repeater feature is usually available only at access points, while WDS mode is very often supported on ordinary routers. In particular, WDS is in the factory firmware of the megapopular router TP-LINK TL-WR841ND. Therefore, if you have a second router, you do not need to buy an access point with the Universal Repeater mode. Hopefully chewed.

Cons WDS.

When using WDS, the data transfer rate on Wi-Fi between the main router and the secondary decreases by about 2 times.
The main router must use a permanent wireless channel. If you select AUTO, the remote router will lose with it when changing the channel.

WDS Setup on TP-LINK TL-WR841ND Router

Well, since the purpose of this instruction is to configure the Internet relay from the remote access point using the WDS function on the TP-LINK TL-WR841ND router, proceed to the main part of it.

Connect the cable to any LAN port of your router and connect with your network card In a computer or laptop. You can also, but you will have to reconnect the network repeatedly.

Turn on the TP-LINK router and go to it.
Configure the Wi-Fi network of your router. Choose SSID., set the security mode WPA2-PSK.Install encryption AES (CCMP), Specify a reliable security key and save the settings. All this is described in our instructions.
Now you need to establish a connection with the main router. Check the box WDS. Appear additional settings. Press the button Search or Survey:
Select from the list another Wi-Fi network, the Internet connection of which you want to retranslate by this router:
Specify the channel that uses the remote router, then the security key of the remote wireless network, select WDS1 And save the settings. That's how the page should look like Wireless mode settings When saving settings:
If you do not know the channel number - not trouble. Just leave AUTO and after clicking on the button. Save Router will suggest you required channel. Your business is to click OK:
After that, the parameter Channel will change to the desired and you will stay again Save.
I repeat: on the main router You need to choose some specific channel. If you use the automatic selection of the channel, the connection between the routers will soon be interrupted.
Turn off DHCP.. It is necessary in order for the devices that connect to your router, they got the Internet from the main - remote router:
Now the last: Go to the settings Local network (LAN). It is strongly recommended to change the IP of your router. Set the IP from the main router range and save the settings. For example, if the main router has an IP 192.168.1.1, assign the secondary 192.168.1.250. Only the last octet should differ and most importantly - the IP address must be free:
If you do as we advise, you can enter the settings of both the main (remote) and this (yours) routers when they are combined into one network.
Attention! If the network does not earn the first time, you can manually assign a static IP to your or and again go to the settings of your router.
After pressing the button Save Agree to reboot the router so that the settings entered into force. Disconnect the cable from the LAN port. Now in any port of the router should not be connected.

About a minute after rebooting, connect to your Wi-Fi network from any device - phone, laptop or tablet. You must access the Internet from the remote router.

In this way, you can create a wireless bridge with any router, access point and even a telephone or tablet in mode.

Thanks to WDS technology (Wireless Distribution System), access points (WAP) can be connected both with any Wi-Fi device and expanding the coating zone. The modes needed to create the technology infrastructure are the Wi-Fi Bridge and the repeater mode (repeater).

Setup can be carried out in two modes: bridge and repeater

Advantages of using such technology:

simplicity settings and connecting;
allows you to get rid of the need to pull tens, or even hundreds of wire meters;
no need to drill the walls to pave the cable;
getting access to the World Wide Web and the equipment connected to the network where the wire is missing.

The "air" remoteness is affected by the remoteness of the Wi-Fi device from the signal source, the presence of interference due to different items, including the walls, therefore, the use of several WAP, which are located on the same network, avoids possible problemsSince the room will be one zone. This is especially true for large areas of premises, apartments, as well as houses with thick walls from concrete.

Since the bridge mode allows you to associate several networks operating in different homes, this way can be used a bridge for communication not just with a neighboring house, but even with fairly remote warehouses, as well as offices or, for example, to organize monitoring of the house, or cottages. Of course, the longer the channel being created (link) will be more expensive, but the goal will justify the means.

WDS Wireless Bridge Wireless Bridge Mode for Large Distance

The wireless bridge mode is another WAP function, which involves a more complex configuration of all network elements, but if you do everything carefully and in order, then no problems will arise.

The characteristic feature of this WDS mode is that the transmission of data on "air" is established only between the equipment itself. It is connected to it through the cable. It allows you to easily connect all sorts of home appliances via Ethernet, then manage them, being at a decent distance. It is undesirable that the most possible number of devices involved exceeded 30 elements, otherwise the connection speed will significantly decrease. If you need to connect more client devices, you can think about the application of several Wireless Distribution System infrastructures.

WDS repeater mode (repeater) for advanced features

The repeater mode allows you to attach not only another point to WAP, but also a variety of wireless devices (adapters).

Enabling WDS.

Include Wireless Distribution System is not so difficult, but for sure to exclude the risk of incompatibility problems, it is recommended to create infrastructure based on devices, if not one manufacturer's company, then at least similar to each other. This is especially true of IEEE 802.11 standards. The use of adapters operating with the standards different to each other can lead to speed loss, so it is better to use the same type of equipment.

Adjust access point

Access point acts as the main element wi-Fi network. It can be represented as an autonomous device or be built into the router. Of course, to enable WDS, it is logical to start setting exactly from it, while remembering that you need to configure each one, of all participating in the creation of a wireless infrastructure.

It is worth recalling that such an autonomous device serves as a base station (BS) having the ability to be the main, remote, as well as relay.

Basic base stations are used when wire connected to the global network.
Remote allow connecting various devices via wi-fi.
Relay is responsible for amplification, as well as relaying the relationship between the main base stations and remote.

First, you should learn the IP address of the autonomous device (router, router), as well as default login with password. All this data is usually taken from the instructions for the equipment, so there should be no difficulty.

After this stage, we attach to the PC base station via Ethernet. It is important to set a PC static IP address using the same subnet that contains the address of the WAP to be established (numbers change after the last point), specify the mask 255.255.255.0. Installing the IP address is available in TCP / IP properties.

Now the interface of the WAP control panel (or router) can be opened with conventional browserHowever, sometimes you have to turn off the firewall on the connected PC to implement the correct access. The view and function of the interface depends on the equipment model.

So, the next step on a PC connected to the BS, you need to open the browser, there in the search string drive the IP address of the desired AP. The panel you need will open, where you need to enter the requested authorization form of login with password, logging, you can begin to configure.

Through the control panel, you can easily change the WAP address so that any of the IP used to have, but within the subnet.

select a wireless network type - you need to specify your preferred wireless Standard IEEE, based on the parameters of the equipment;
the number of the frequency channel is indicated for all BS the same or automatically set;
we specify a special SSID identifier (it is desirable to give such a name so that it can then be easily identified);
the RATE parameter is responsible for the connection speed (it is better to leave it in the avtotservation position).

Configuring client adapters to work in WDS mode

For configuration wireless adapter (client) is usually applied by software designed specifically for specific device. When connecting multiple client instruments, we must certainly consider that each of them should be registered its special static address within the same subnet, which was used for adjustment basic stations.

To connect a wireless device, you need to create a new connection to the "air" profile, where we enter the name of the profile itself and the Wi-Fi infrastructure to which you want to connect. The number of new profiles created must correspond to the number of networks combined in WDS.

Setting up WDS.

To complete the WDS configuration process, open the WAP settings, where you select the configuration suitable for us on the required tab. It is possible that it may not be specified - it can only mean that the default point will work as a repeater.

We find the fields to specify the MAC addresses of the points with which it is allowed to work to work on the device. It is necessary to enter the MAC addresses working in WDS base stations.

Find out the MAC address of the access point is quite simple - just open the properties of the connection of the desired profile.

WDS security

To protect against unexpected guests, it is strongly recommended to use filtering by MAC addresses, then hide SSID, then encode the data using WEP (WPA in Wireless Distribution System is not supported) first in the settings of all access points, and then in the options of connected devices.

IPCONFIG / ALL command scored in command line, Shows IP and MAC addresses for client appliances. Opening the WiFi Point Configuration Interface, fill in the list of permitted addresses by our, thereby installing the blocking of connecting all other unknown devices.

Setting up protection and coding is also performed by the control panel of the autonomous device. For uninterrupted infrastructure operation, you must specify the same method and key of the encoding in the options of all base stations.

WDS checking

If everything was connected correctly, the connected devices can work with each other through the network.