Kraun KR.XY, User Manual

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Manual
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Wireless Distribution System (WDS)
9
WDS stands for Wireless Distribution System. It enables the access points (APs) to be
connected wirelessly. Integrated Access Device can also provide you services of WDS. This
chapter provides information on how to setup Integrated Access Device to realize WDS.
Note
Integrated Access Device that supports WDS does not support
advanced security systems like WPA or WPA-Enterprise on a
WDS network — only WEP.
Sometimes you want to establish a multi-access point wireless network in your home or office,
but you don’t have Ethernet cabling running to the locations where you want to add the extra AP.
After all, you may be using wireless because you don’t have wires in place already.
One way to overcome this problem is to use a system built into Integrated Access Device that is
known as Wireless Distribution System (WDS).
WDS basically creates a mesh network by providing a mechanism for access points to “talk” to
each other as well as sending data to devices associated with them.
Note
WDS is based on some standardized 802.11 protocols, but there
is no standardized way of implementing it that works across
different AP and router vendors. So if you have a Integrated
Access Device in one location and you want to create a WDS
link to a other brand of router in another location (just to pick two
brands at random), you probably won’t be able to get it to work.
You have your best luck when you use equipment from the same
manufacturer.
Note
When you use WDS as a repeater system, as described below, it
effectively halves the data rate for clients connected to Integrated
Access Device. That’s because every bit of data needs to be sent
twice (data is received by the AP and then retransmitted).
To configure WDS, you need to modify some settings on each AP within the network. Your
exact steps (and the verbiage used) will vary from vendor to vendor. Generally, you’ll see some
settings like the following: