Better performance with WDS than without

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Today we upgraded a link between a RB411AH and Groove A-5Hn, changing the RB411AH with a RB Metal.
Link is LOS, but a tree is inside the first Fresnel zone.
Old link was wds+nstreme+11n with ROS version 5.22 on both side. Max throughput was about 35 Mbps.
New link was with nstreme+11n, ROS 5.25/5.22. Same frequency and same antenna.
Distance: 50 meters, signal-strength at -55dBm

Without WDS and about 15 Mbps, ping were about 200 ms, CCQ fluctuating between 30 % to 90 % and p-throughput from 4 to 95 Mbps.

Now, with WDS enabled and same traffic pings dropped to 27 ms, CCQ rose to 90-100% and p-throughput is stable to 40 Mbps

Dear guys, somebody can explain me why wds, which should just adds some bytes to frames, gives a link so more reliable?

2

Hi there

Can you please explain in a bit more detail the WDS setting you’re using on both sides of the link?

Thanks

3

Sure.

AP side

/interface wireless
set wlan1 default-forwarding=no disabled=no frequency=5280 mode=ap-bridge rate-set=configured
tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=card-rates wds-default-bridge=bridge_wds wds-mode=dynamic

/interface bridge
add name=bridge_wds
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge_wds interface=wlan1

/ip address
add address=172.16.2.246/30 interface=bridge_wds

Station side

/interface wireless
set wlan1 mode=station-wds tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=card-rates wds-default-bridge=bridge_wds wds-mode=dynamic

/interface bridge
add name=bridge_wds
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge_wds disabled=yes interface=wlan1

/ip address
add address=172.16.2.245/30 disabled=no interface=wlan1

As you can see, configurations are very simple, no exotic wds bridge with ethernet, eoip or anything else.
Just a bridge with only one interface.

About wds-mode set as dynamic in the station, it is because before the maintenance job, it was the AP, but the RBmetal didn’t connect. So roles were switched (but without reactivating WDS), and so problems came.

4

What do you mean “without WDS”? What operation mode?

5

Try to reduce the output power.
The signal is maby to strong and disturb itself.

6

Please upgrade the RouterOS to v6.7 and then reset the wireless interface configuration using such command:
/interface wireless reset-configuration wlan1

After than configure the settings you only need and retest the link.