From DD-WRT Wiki

Introduction

WDS creates a wireless backbone link between multiple access points that are part of the same wireless network. This allows a wireless network to be expanded using multiple access points without the need for a wired network connection to link them. The WDS-enabled access points can accept wireless clients (e.g. wireless laptop users) just as the main wired access point (or wireless router) does.

There is no free lunch, however: WDS consumes some wireless bandwidth normally available to wireless clients.

Current Status for DD-WRT

DD-WRT v22: R2 seems to be working well.

DD-WRT v23 Beta-2: Works with WEP, WPA, & WPA2. WPA2 Mixed Mode is a good choice because it can fall back to WPA if necessary; it also seems to be easier to get working than WPA2-only. WDS+WPA/WPA2 is known to fail after a firmware upgrade if a hard reset is not performed after the upgrade (a recommended procedure anyway).

Confirmed Working Products

-Apple Airport Express
-Linksys WRE54G Wireless Range Expander
-Belkin F5D7130 Wireless Range Extender/Access Point
-Belkin F5D7230-4  802.11g Wireless DSL/Cable Gateway Router
-Belkin F5D7231-4
-CompuShack SWA-103 (Waveline Micro AccessPoint) Repeater Mode
-Fujitsu Siemens AP-600RP
-Siemens Gigaset Repeater
-Sinus 154 Basic SE
-Comtrend 536+
-Netgear WG602 v3 Repeater Mode

Installation

WDS Linking with WRT54GS *Requirements*

For Straight WDS mode between two WDS enabled devices, such as 2x WRT54G/GS's, the requirements are that both the 'Host Router' and the 'Client Router' to be in 'AP' mode and on the same Channel. Importantly to be on seperate SSIDs so the 'Client Router' can roam between the 'Host Router'. Both the 'Client Router' and 'Host Router' must have WDS 'Lan' entries for their respective MAC addresses, and there is confusion here because the firmware status screen may report the WAN address instead of the WLAN, so its best to be checked by ssh/telnet'ing to the wrt and using ifconfig, On the 'Client router' firewalling and blocking of anon intenet requests must be turned off. Both the 'Host' & 'Client' SSID's do not need to be broadcasted, but I haven't confirmed this myself. No other WDS settings such as 'lazy WDS' or 'WDS subnet' are relevant to the straight kind of WDS setup described here.

On the 'Host Router' the Internet connection must disabled, on the 'Client Router' dhcpcd disabled, on the 'Host Router' No firewall needs to be disabled *commen sense*, No services such loopback, upnp, need to be turned off.

The only service that seems to have crediable reasons for disabling is the watchdog AP (it is automatically disabled in recent firmwares).

WDS Linking with WRT54GS

A pretty decent forum post was made about WDS Linking with WRT54GS.

Find it here: http://forum.bsr-clan.de/ftopic624.html

Original was here: http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=7 (with pictures)

Setting up WDS between a DD-WRT router and an Apple Airport Express

This has been tested with prefinal4 [6-15-05] Verified with DD-WRT v2.3 (12/25/05) and Airport Express v6.20

1) [Wireless->Basic Settings] Set the channel on the DD-WRT to 1
2a) [Wireless->WDS] Select "LAN" option and enter the airport express's AIRPORT id
2b) Set Lazy WDS and WDS subnet to disable
3) [Administration->Management] Set Loopback to disable
4) [Security->Firewall] Turn off "Block Anonymous Internet Requests"
5) Open Airport admin utility and find the new express, then double click it
6) In the airport tab:
   Select "Create Wireless Network"
   Set Network name to your wireless SSID
   Set the wireless channel to 1
7) WDS tab:
   Enable this base statio
   Set base station as "remote base station"
   In the Main Aiport ID section enter your DD-WRT wireless mac (can get this in status->wireless)
8) Click "update"

if it works then there will be a solid green light (may take a couple of minutes) . If it does not work , you should connect Airport Express and WRT54G/GS using a CAT-5 cable and setting up it. It might work

source: http://ryanschwartz.net/2004/08/05/airtunes-airport-express-and-the-wrt54g

Also make sure that you disable the "AP Watchdog" daemon. If you have a wireless endpoint (like a laptop) which connects to the Airport station (because you use WDS) then the Linksys does not see any Clients connected and restarts the wireless network over and over. You also could change other channel apart from 1 , if you're having problems and you dont have to disable Loopback

Also note that the above configuration with the Airport Express works with either no encryption or WEP encryption. When using WEP encryption, make sure you enter your WEP key into the Airport Express exactly how it is entered into the WRT54G 'BUT' add a $ to the beginning of the key. $ key is meant for Hex (WEP). If you're not using HEX , then you can leave it blank as normal

WPA/WPA2 encryption does not appear to work over WDS (but will work when the Airport Express is configured in client mode - but in client mode, the RJ45 connection is not usable). The error that the WRT54G reports back when the Airport Express is trying to associate via WPA over WDS is: eapol_sup_dispatch wds0.49153: unknown EPOL type 3 . AFAIK, EPOL has to do with WPA, so perhaps if this issue can be resolved, then the two devices could associate.

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