[moveagain]

I have 2 identical Netgear WNDR routers. Router1 is connected (LAN port) to my AT&T uverse router, and Router2 is sitting in another room, unused.

Both have dd-wrt installed and I am trying to setup a mesh network.

I have configured Router-1 as a "WDS AP", with security (WPA2, AES), and DHCP off (it gets it from the main AT&T uverse router. I have multiple devices connected to Router1 on LAN ports as well as wirelessly. Both 2.4 and 5 GHz interfaces have the same SSID.

I want to create a mesh network with Router2 by configuring it as a "WDS Station". I don't want to create another SSID for wireless clients that connect to Router2, and I've read that configuring the routers as WDS AP and WSA Station will allow me to do just that.

I tried instructions from one of the wiki pages, but that failed and made Router1 inoperable.

I can't seem to get WDS to work, and I was wondering if anyone else has had success.

Thanks

[mrjcd]

What ddwrt build you using????
What radio you using for WDS????

[moveagain]

Router Model
Netgear WNDR4300
Firmware Version
DD-WRT v24-sp2 (02/04/14) std - build 23503
Kernel Version
Linux 3.10.28 #4388 Tue Feb 4 09:32:31 CET 2014 mips


I have ath0 and ath1 configured to the same SSID name on both routers.

[mrjcd]

I can tell you that having same SSID on both radio and trying WDS to another router is not likely to work very well.
You might also consider updating to a newer build.

I'll do some checking in a bit when get bavk to the homeworld.
I have some routers that use same radio as yours.

[mrjcd]

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WDS_REPEATER_on_QCA

[moveagain]

Thanks. I did review the instructions on that page. I have Router1 on floor 1 of my house, and Router2 on floor 2. Would I have to explicitly connect wireless clients to a different SSID when I'm on floor 2, where the signal from Router1 is weak? My original understanding was that a WDS AP/Station would allow wireless clients to seamlessly connect to the nearest router using the same SSID. I must admit I'm not all that familiar with mesh networks... In any case, I'll walk through the config steps and see if I can get internet access from both routers.

[mrjcd]

[moveagain]

Ok, so now I've got the following config:

Router1:
Physical Interface ath0:
Wireless Mode: AP
SSID: HOME

Physical Interface ath1
Wireless Mode: WDS AP
SSID: HOME

Router 2:
Physical Interface ath0
Wireless Mode: AP
SSID: HOME

Physical Interface ath1:
Wireless Mode: WDS Station
SSID: HOME

Router1 Status->Wireless:
It sees that Router2 is a wireless node
It sees my laptop connected

Router2 Status-> Wireless:
It sees that Router1 is a wireless node

I can ping Router1 from Router 2 and vice versa.

I cannot access the internet when connected to Router2 by a physical cable and wireless turned off on my laptop.

I can access the internet with a wireless connection to Router1.

Looks like both routers are connected to each other, but something else is amiss.

[mrjcd]

If you followed every detail of wiki it show work fine.
Also disable DNSMasq in services page on router 2.

Remember if you are using a winders computer and connect (wired) into a different device on the same network its firewall may block you. Double ckeck all that or disable firewall .... see that it shows you connected to private network not public.

[mrjcd]

[mrjcd]

I've been running WDS-Sta on (5GHz) w/ WNDR3700v4 (dd-wrt r31571) for over an hour without an issue.
Computer wired.
2 wireless clients on ath0 streaming video - no problems.

[mrjcd]

[moveagain]

Updated firmware to 31571 on both routers.
Disabled FW and unchecked DNSMasq on Router2
Created VAP on Router2 with DIFFERENT SSID (HOME2)
Changed ath0 channel on Router1 to 1 and Router2 to 7.
Changed ath1 channel on Router1 and Router2 to 12

I only have Mac clients.

When I connect to SSID HOME2 on Router2, I have internet access!
When I connect to Router2 using an ethernet cable, I have no internet access (but can ping the other routers.

At least I'm moving in the right direction! Ideally, I'd want a single SSID across both routers instead of 2 different SSIDs (HOME and HOME2), but I'm not sure if that is a reasonable expectation.

[mrjcd]

Setup/Advanced Routing tab
Operating Mode should be 'Router' on the WDS-Sta unit

Setup/Basic Setup tab
Local IP Address - make sure it is not being used by some other device. Good Ideal to set this out of DHCP range of whatever is doing DHCP....

Gateway = should be the actual 'Gateway to this subnet' -- not necessarily the IP of router you are bridged to (unless it holds the WAN connection to this subnet)
This is also true on the WDS-AP -- needs gateway set even if it is own IP --- also if the WDS-AP router is main that holds public WAN connection you should have DNS set on setup page --- even if you are just using your ISP DNS look on WAN status page and see what they are and input those IPs in 'Network Address Server Settings (DHCP)' for static DNS on main router.

Don't know about any wired port problems w/wndr4300
---hmm maybe tatsuya can tell you about that .. thinkin he plays with one.

[mrjcd]