Client mode V.s Client bridge mode

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gregorykay
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Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 16:25    Post subject: Client mode V.s Client bridge mode Reply with quote
Hi I'm not quite sure i get the diffrence between client mode and client bride mode because everyone is using them interchangably.
1) In client bridge mode the fon basicly received the signal from your main router and you can connect a computer to the fon's rj45 to get internet and fileshare between computers connected to the router, and the fons rj45, correct?

2) It also sends out the wireless signal again so its essentialy being a repeater aswell, correct?

3) Can computers connected to the fons wireless signal fileshare with the computers connected to the router?

4)Ok if this is all with the client bridge what does the client mode do? Is it the same but you cant fileshare? does the client mode still send out a repeated signal?

sorry for so many questions lol
Thanx in advance
-Greg
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joksi
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 1240

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 17:08    Post subject: Reply with quote
You have mixed up the modes and their use a little bit.

Client bridge: The Fonera connects wirelessly to another AP. Foneras ethernet port is used to connect a PC, X-Box, laptop or another networking device. The Fonera wont act like a router at all in this mode, but as a bridge. All routing and ie DHCP offers are handled by the main AP/router. So PCs connected to the main router and PC connected to the Fonera will be in what is called same subnet (same IP addressing scheme) and therefore nothing is in their way of communicating. Filesharing will work as normal. Consider the Fonera ion this mode as simply as a transparent unit, a ordinary switch but with a added antenna for WLAN :)

Another way of describin the fonera in this mode is a "wireless adapter" for a PC or laptop that doesnt have it, only ethernet card.

This mode is mainly used for X-Boxes, to give them wireless access to the home network, or for stand alone PCs to integrate them without wireless cards into the wired network (by way of fonera wirelessly) if the PC maybe is unwanted to be wired because of its location.

Client mode: Exactly as above mentioned client bridge mode, ONLY difference is that now in this mode the Fonera will be a router and maintain its own network. It will hand out DHCP and so on. This means PCs connected to the main AP/router and PC connected to the Fonera wont be able to see each other in Windows network neighborhood, and they will have different IP addressing schemas. The Fonera PC will still though have completely free access to the wired routers PCs, but they in turn will not because client mode also as standard involves NAT protection. The Fonera hides its PC/PCs.

AP: The Fonera connects to a modem, router or similar by ethernet, and gives wireless access to wireless PCs and laptops. Nothing strange here, it acts a a traditional AP. It can be the same as client bridge mode, that is its bridged and the clients to the AP will get IP from the wired router, if used. Or as the client mode, the AP can separate its own network from the wired router.

I hope you have it more clearly now :)

In short, AP is the most used mode when someone wants to add wireless functionality to a already wired network with a non-WLAN router. Client bridge mode is used to connect non-wireless networking devices to a wired network wirelessly, acting like a external wireless adapter. Client mode is again the same, with only difference that the Fonera will be in a individual network. Client bridge = at home, client mode = when you want to protect your own network from the remote AP network.
gregorykay
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 18:24    Post subject: Reply with quote
so if i set it up in client mode the fon will receive the signal from the router, then i hook up a computer to the fons ethernet and have a laptop wirelessly connected to the fons signal then the the computer hooked up to the fon through the rj45 and through wireless fon signal will be able to fileshare with eachother and they will be able to look at the files of computers connected to the router but the computers connected to the router will not be able to see the files of the computers connected to the fon (both rj45 and wirelles) have i gotten it right?

because ideally i would want what you explained as client bridege but for the fon to also send out the same wireless signal as it received from the router so a client bridge that sends out a wireless signal in the same subnet as the main router so computers connected to the fon's wirelesss signal can share files with computers connected to the main router. Is this possible? It would be the best of both worlds

Thanx
joksi
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 1240

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:03    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes its possible.

You have misunderstood something, basic client mode or client bridge mode does NOT repeat the WLAN signal from the remote AP. Well, in fact, it does some kind of repeating to the ethernet port, but nothing else.

If you would like the Fonera too also accept wireless clients (real WLAN repeater) you have to configure it slightly more, a combination of client bridge mode and a virtual AP on second interface would crack it.
gregorykay
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:06    Post subject: Reply with quote
thanx for all your help
btw so can you tell me if what i think about client mode is correct? (to sum it up can the computers connected to the fon either throught the rj45 or the vap access the files of a computer connected to the other router which the fon receives its signal from wirelessly?)

what do you mean by second interface? Is there a guide to how i would set up a vap on a client bridge?


Last edited by gregorykay on Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:11; edited 1 time in total
joksi
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 1240

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:10    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just set up client bridge mode as it should be, then on the same page (wireless settings) you have buttons to add/remove virtual AP.
gregorykay
DD-WRT User


Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 57

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:14    Post subject: Reply with quote
and will the computers connected to the vap of the fon be able to fileshare with computers connected to the main router the same way as the computer connected to the rj45 of the fon?
pepsi_max2k
DD-WRT User


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Posts: 196

PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 19:46    Post subject: Reply with quote
yeah, anything connected to VAP behaves in exactly the same way as anything connected to ethernet.
dltv
DD-WRT User


Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Posts: 114
Location: USA

PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
The above description of client and client bridge are perfectly established.
I didnt read all the other post but maybe im just repeating whats already been said.

2) It also sends out the wireless signal again so its essentially being a repeater aswell, correct?

In client bridge or client mode this is not default setup. In order to have it have a wireless signal you must create a VAP in the DD WRT interface.


3) Can computers connected to the fons wireless signal fileshare with the computers connected to the router?

Yes, once the VAP is setup and running you can have the La fonera in Client Bridge mode and have the VAP running thus using the ethernet port on the La Fonera and making it a Virtual AP.

I think this will be the next thing i add to my webpage on the details of Client and Client Bridge as well as some images
allgamer
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 29 Jan 2008
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 16:05    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just wanted to say Thank you! to joksi for the great explanation ( disambiguation ) in post #2
Very Happy
spook68
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 14 May 2014
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 20:20    Post subject: beware Reply with quote
allgamer wrote:
Just wanted to say Thank you! to joksi for the great explanation ( disambiguation ) in post #2
Very Happy


If you use the 2nd router as repeater for the main wifi the max speed drops by 50%. The repeater has to receive the information and broadcast it again.

I use a client bridge because I can not use a wired connection. Attached are only wired devices.

Read the tutorials for the correct setup.

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WRT54GL v1.1 client bridge
XP, W7, OSX, iOS, Android, Brother HL-1850
DD-WRT_Freem@n
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 23 Dec 2017
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 15:45    Post subject: Reply with quote
joksi wrote:
Yes its possible.

[...]client mode or client bridge mode does NOT repeat the WLAN signal from the remote AP.[...]

If you would like the Fonera too also accept wireless clients (real WLAN repeater) you have to configure it slightly more, a combination of client bridge mode and a virtual AP on second interface would crack it.


So, do I need a DD-WRT firmware if I want to turn my PBE-M2-400 device to a repeater ? ( Ubiquiti NanoBeam (PowerBeam) M Series, 2GHz 18dBi dual pol ) ....

Can I recover again to the airOS afterwards ?

IS the "Client Bridge" mode + VAP (Virtual Access point/AP) the correct solution if i want a wireless extender/repeater ?
OR can I just use some of the "built-in" modes in AirOS ?

I know you probably are gonna say "repeater is bad, don't use it" and so on, but I still want this.

Thank you.
ian5142
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 23 Oct 2013
Posts: 2318
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 1:33    Post subject: Wiki page Reply with quote
Take a look at the wiki page here for differences: https://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeating_Mode_Comparisons#Repeating_Mode_Comparison_Table

As for the bandwidth halving issue, unless you have a >100Mbps download speed, you will not notice the difference.

The best repeating mode is WDS, that is what I use. Client bridge and Repeater Bridge are software hacks, they will always cause problems. Repeater Bridge is more stable, but not as stable as a WDS link.

The big downside of WDS is that all of your routers must run dd-wrt and they must have the same wireless chipset manufacturer (Broadcom, Atheros, etc).

_________________
Before asking a question on the forums, update dd-wrt: Where do I download firmware? I suggest reading it all.
QCA Best WiFi Settings


Some dd-wrt wiki pages are up to date, others are not. PM me if you find an old one.

Atheros:
Netgear R7800 x3 - WDS AP / station, gateway, QoS
TP-Link Archer C7 v2 x2 - WDS Station
TP-Link TL-WDR3600 v1 - WDS Station
TP-Link 841nd v8 - NU
D-Link 615 C1/E3/I1 x 7 - 1 WDS station
D-Link 825 B1 - NU
D-Link 862L A1 x2 - WDS Station
Netgear WNDR3700v2 - NU
UBNT loco M2 x2 - airOS

Broadcom
Linksys EA6400 - Gateway, QoS
Asus N66U - AP
Netgear WNDR3700v3 - not used
MediaTek
UBNT EdgeRouter X - switch
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