Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 10:29 Post subject: Hotspot network with multiple APs (WDS?)
Hi guys,
Even if I have some networking experience I am quite new in building wireless networks, so please forgive the noobness
I'm trying to create a multi-AP (>10) hotspot network to cover a large, multi level building. The first step will involve 10 WRT54GL routers, but this is probably not going to be enough.
Now, I've read any relevant topic I've found but I'm still confused about the best way to connect the routers with each other. I understand that creating a WDS network I will have one "main" router connected to the internet (and, I guess, with the hotspot configuration), while the others will simply act as L2 bridges that will extend the wireless network at the expense of the bandwidth. Obviously, in this case I will try to limit the number of "connections" by chaining the devices instead of creating a full mesh, but still I will have two problems:
1) Bandwidth loss
2) Each device is a single point of failure
[TLDR] So I was wondering: is there a way to have every router work "on his own", with his ethernet connection to the same switch as the others and internet access, but still sharing the wireless network so that if an user under AP1 coverage goes to a different floor covered by AP3, he will not notice the AP's change? And will all this work in an hotspot environment?
thank you for your reply! The post you pointed actually covers the situation opposite to mine: I know I can setup a repeater, and I know WDS is a way to achieve that. What I don't get is if I can setup every router in the WDS mesh to have its own ethernet connection to the internet so that the WDS is only used to "share" the same SSID. I want wireless devices connected to a router to use that router's internet, but then if they move under another router's coverage they should automatically switch to it's wan connection.
I've read many posts but it seems that I am the only one with this need, and unfortunately I can't try it out (I am still waiting for the delivery of my routers, but was planning for the configuration).
You don't need WDS, if the APs are connected by cable. Just set them up with the same SSID.
Thank you... will it just work this way? What will happen when I walk from the ground floor (which is covered by AP1) to the 6th (AP7) ? Will my tablet/phone/whatever automatically connect to the correct router without losing open connections?
Joined: 13 Aug 2013 Posts: 6870 Location: Romerike, Norway
Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 20:18 Post subject:
Yes. All APs should be on the same subnet and with one DHCP server serving all, so the stations can reuse the same ip address. A client will connect to a new AP if the current one goes out of range.