LAN / WDS configuration

Pilgrim · Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:48 pm

I hope you guys can help me get my head around this. I would like to use the WDS technologi to expand the WIFI range of my network and at the same time i would like the AP to work as a station for my LAN.

I have read different articles and wiki proposals for this, but I am not sure that I got it right. when I set up AP 2 as a WDS-Slave / WDS dymanic, then I get some odd situation in my network that some of the routing does not work correctly despite that everything seems to connect OK to the internet.

WDS Topologi.jpg

AP 1: is set up as AP Brigde and WDS as Dynamic using brigde1 (ports are the ether 1 and Wlan1).

AP 2: I have tried different configuration and I don't know which one is the correct:

Trial 1: AP Brigde / WDS Dynamic Brigde 1
Trial 2: WDS Slave / WDS dynamic (gave some strange routing results and delays on the net)
Trial 3: WDS Station / WDS Dynamic Brigde 1 (works perfectly as a station, but not sure about the AP)

Which configuration of AP 2 (AP&Station) would be the right one?

Thanks in advance,

Pilgrim

MadEngineer · Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:14 pm

use trial3, but add a virtualap. infact clients should (ideally?) connect using a virtualap

cbrown · Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:15 pm

They should both be configured in AP-Bridge with dynamic WDS. Did you try that?

cbrown · Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:18 pm

I'm not sure if you have seen this one but follow it. It does work.

http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Wireless_repeater

Pilgrim · Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:29 pm

Thanks Guys,

I tried configure both in AP's as AP Brigde and WDS dynamic. But i seems to really slow down the net down quite a bit.

AP2 has unfortunately only one radio, so i think that I can't use the repeater setup described.

This was the config tried on AP2.

WDS 1.jpg

would WDS Slave or WDS mesh work better? I am not sure when to use mesh.

I was also studying this one

http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Wireless_WDS_Mesh

and I am wondering if only RB751U-4 is connected to the internet or is all 4 is on the cable lan and act as AP brigde.

Thanks,

Pilgrim

Pilgrim · Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:35 pm

If in station mode that I would add a virtual AP should I then just use the regular station brigde mode or should I choose Station WDS?

Can the virtual AP be the same SSID, Frequency and WPA?

Thanks, PIlgrim

cbrown · Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:28 pm

Please read the link I sent you again. You do not need two radios to do a repeater. Also, with one radio you have to use AP-Bridge because you can't have the radio in two different modes (WDS-Station and AP-Bridge).

This is the part you want to look at.

/ interface wireless set wlan2 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5805 ssid=To_clients wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X4  master-interface=wlan2
/ interface bridge port add interface=wlan2 bridge=bridge1
/ interface bridge port add interface=wds2 bridge=bridge1
/ ip address add address=192.168.0.2/24 interface=bridge1

/ interface wireless set wlan1 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5805 ssid=To_clients wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X3  master-interface=wlan1
/ interface bridge add
/ interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1
/ interface bridge port add interface=wds1 bridge=bridge1
/ ip adress add address=192.168.0.3/24 interface=wlan1

Pilgrim · Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:12 pm

@cbrown

Thanks again. I am trying out the AP Brigde / AP Brigde configuration again. But I need a bit more help. The configuration of the repeater pasted has a wlan1 ond a wlan2 and I can't figure out how to repeat this configuration in my RB411U with just one radio. Is it possible to add a wlan2 as a virtual interface og do mean just to repeat this parts of the configuration

/ interface wireless set wlan1 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5180 ssid=Main_gw wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX master-interface=wlan1
/ interface bridge add
/ interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1
/ interface bridge port add interface=wds1 bridge=bridge1

and for AP1 I would put in the mac addr for AP2 (wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX) and vice vers for AP2. A bit strange, but maybe still all right is that wen I enter this configuration and then go interface and open wlan1 and go to the WDS tap, then WDS is still disabled. But WDS interface is corre ctly in the brigde with the wlan interface.

Thanks in advance,

Pilgrim

cbrown · Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:24 pm

No you don't need another radio or Virtual AP. You are trying to over complicate it. The other radio in the tutorial is for a backhaul to the first tower.

You need to have both routers on AP Bridge with the same SSID, encryption, and frequency. Then you need to create a bridge on each router and put your wlan interface into the bridge. Then back in the wireless you need to set your WDS mode to dynmaic and WDS default bridge to the bridge you just created. Alternatively you can use static WDS interfaces which you would then set WDS mode to static and leave WDS default bridge as none and then add the WDS interface manually into your bridge.

If you already have a bridge on the main side where you are doing DHCP then you would just add your wlan and WDS interfaces to that bridge. You would not create any DHCP for the repeater side as it should come from the main router.

/ interface wireless set wlan2 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5805 ssid=To_clients wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X4  master-interface=wlan2
/ interface bridge port add interface=wlan2 bridge=bridge1
/ interface bridge port add interface=wds2 bridge=bridge1
/ ip address add address=192.168.0.2/24 interface=bridge1

/ interface wireless set wlan1 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5805 ssid=To_clients wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X3  master-interface=wlan1
/ interface bridge add
/ interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1
/ interface bridge port add interface=wds1 bridge=bridge1
/ ip adress add address=192.168.0.3/24 interface=wlan1

Pilgrim · Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:42 pm

@cbrown. Thanks! seems to works perfect now. I don't know if the dynamic setup was the reason for the "holes" but after having set both AP's to AP Brigde and setting up the static WDS, then everything seems to work super.

Thanks,

Pilgrim

cbrown · Mon Jun 04, 2012 11:51 pm

No problem. I think I have run into the same issue with dynamic WDS being weird. I just like to do things static when they are fixed.

HellBoy · Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:09 am

Hello guys,
I already try it setup my mikrotik rb 951g more than 5 time and I acheived nothing.
I have a little bit different situation:
I have simple WI-FI router(not mikrotik) and i would like connect my mikrotik rb 951g to this router like bridge.
With connection between two devices no problem, i connect my mikrotik to WI-FI in Station mode trying make bridge between wlan1 and ethernet it's ok. Mikrotik and ethernet client receive ip automaticly but ethernet client can't ping outside address and use internet. Where is the problem?

samir494 · Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:27 pm

WDS Topologi.jpg

configure AP1 as
add bridge in tnterface as bridge1
wireless mode=AP/Bridge with Wds-mode= dynamic & Wds-default-bridge=Bridge1
ip add on ether /wlan
add ether in bridge port with bridge1 & also wlan in bridge port
snap is attached

you can repeate the same configuration in ap2

HellBoy · Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:21 am

Sorry guys, but it didn't help.
Fortunately I found another way if some one need her it is:

interface wireless set wlan1 mode=station-pseudobridge-clone ssid="Yours Primary router" frequency="Yours router MHz" band="Yours router supported" wireless-protocol=802.11 wds-mode=disabled

interface bridge add

interface bridge port add interface=ether1 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether2 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether3 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether4 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether5 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1

ip address add address="some internal address" interface=wlan1

mikepratt · Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:53 am

cbrown and others - I've been using WDS networks recently, with much success and satisfaction. I put every thing on the same subnet bridge, and it really simplifies the backhaul networks for me. Minimum configuration, minimum packet processing = less effort and better performance.

I use dynamic WDS with success, because if I ever have to change a radio out, it will dynamically reconnect - I may have to scan and select which AP-WDS to connect to, depending on the topology, but I think it may simplify hardware replacement/maintenance.

Also, I do not put the wlan on the local bridge (as is often shown in the examples) - using dynamic WDS, it will 'insert' the 'dynamic wds' into the bridge for you, making it at best redundant with a configured wlan port selection, and at worse, I think it may cause some routing confusion, as well.

Here's an example of an interesting network with 'semi-mobile' APs mounted on movable towers - don't see that too often...

HellBoy · Thu Feb 28, 2013 5:18 am

mikepratt
How you configured yours ethernet clients on WDS router?
Just :
interface wireless set wlan1 mode=station-wds ssid="Yours Primary router" frequency="Yours router MHz" band="Yours router supported" wireless-protocol=802.11 wds-mode=disabled

interface bridge add

interface bridge port add interface=ether1 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether2 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether3 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether4 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=ether5 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1

???