Need Help Activating WDS Between 2 APs

[aswinp]

Hi Guys, I need your help in activating WDS for my two Asus APs. One is WL-HDD, the other is WL-500Gp.

What I've done:

1. Main AP in server room is WL-HDD, connected to switch

2. Setup WL-HDD with WPA-PSK TKIP encryption (WEP disabled)

3. Setup WL-HDD to channel 8, SID: A1, LAN IP: 192.168.0.251

4. Setup WL-HDD bridging mode to "Hybrid Mode", with remote mac address of the WL-500Gp in the list. Allow anonymous is "NO"

5. Setup WL500Gp with WPA-PSK TKIP encryption with same passkey as WL-HDD (WEP Disabled), same channel 8, SID: A2, LAN IP: 192.168.0.252

6. Setup WL500Gp bridging mode to "Hybrid Mode", with remote mac address of the WL-HDD in the list. Allow anonymous is "NO"

7. Under wireless advanced setting, I tried setting Extended Mode to both "AP or WDS" and "Ethernet Bridge" (no difference in result)

After following the above step, the WL500Gp still wont talk wirelessly to the WL-HDD. When I disconnect the WL-500Gp from the wired LAN, I can't ping it.

Am I missing something? Note, firmware is latest, from Asus site as of today.

Thanks for the help.

 

[aswinp]

No one can spot what I did wrong?

Hmmm...let me try to attack this from another pov. For those of you that successfully setup wireless repeating between 2 APs with WDS, what did you do?

1. Were they on the same channel?
2. Did you use WEP or WPA encryption (can I even use WPA-PSK encryption?)
3. Was the SSID the same?

Thx again.

 

[nweaver]

just a quick question, but do they really call this WDS?

Just wondering, as to me, WDS means wireless domain services...i.e. roaming between ap's without reauthing to the radius server.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: nweaver
just a quick question, but do they really call this WDS?

Just wondering, as to me, WDS means wireless domain services...i.e. roaming between ap's without reauthing to the radius server.

It still mucks me up. It's a SOHO buzzword. It is nothing like wireless domain services.

aswinp, the reason you may not be getting many responses is those APs are pretty unknown. Maybe explain what you are trying to accomplish as the implementation and how to set this up differs from all the manufacturers.

I'm not familiar at all with SOHO gear but I would assume that you'd need the same channel, ssid and encryption on both APs. Maybe try no encryption to test and then add encryption.

 

[aswinp]

Spidey, thanks. Yes it looks like I'll have to try without any encryption and see what happens.

Yes I know its more a marketing jargon too freely used by the manufacturers, but some people have got it to work with their soho stuff. Why can't we?

 

[JackMDS]

WDS = Wireless Distribution System.

It is a little more enhanced than an Access Point as a Repeater in the sense that you can internet connects more than one unit.

It is Not a solid standard so it needs extra work.

As far as Home/SOHO installations go.

The first rule is to use Hardware that is done by same Brand and with the same Chipset.

Then you start with an experimental phase, you put the units relatively close and you configure all of them with the same SSID, set them to the same Channel, and No Security. The association is usually based on the source MAC number.

You take a Laptop and you walk from one to the other put the Laptop close to the Antenna and make sure that you can connect purposely to each unit directly.

When it works OK, you can start changing parameters once at the time (like adding security etc.).

At the end when it is working at its own max capacity (you might find that some changes that you would like to make deem it Not workable) move the Units to its designated location.

If you do this for business as long as you buy the same Hardware (keeping an eye that the Brand did not switch the chipset and leave the device name the same) you can directly install new similar devices using the setting from your previous experiment.

P.S. I am not familiar with the Asus but there is Hardware claim that it is WDS and I never mange to make it to work countable as WDS.

Buffalo and Linksys devices that are flashed with DD-WRT can work together as WDS.