How to expand the wireless coverage through WDS

Product line: wireless        question category: function config

Sometimes the wireless router is too far from the wireless clients or the wireless signal strength is too low to connect, in order to expand the wireless coverage of your existed wireless router, you can use another wireless router to setup WDS with the existed wireless router.

The Topology is as below:

Key points:

1. Both routers should support WDS function;

2. The LAN IP addresses of the two routers should be two different IP within the same IP segment (192.168.0.1), for example, R1: 192.168.0.1, R2: 192.168.0.10;

3. The DHCP Server of R1 should be enabled, while the R2’s DHCP Server should be disabled;

4. The wireless settings of both routers should be exactly the same, including SSID, channel, security mode, algorithms and password.

The Steps are as below:

Settings in R1 which has been setup for internet:

1. Open a web browser in PC1 which connects to R1, and in the address bar please type in 192.168.0.1(the LAN IP of the router), and then click Enter. Then you will be in the management page of R1.

2. Click on the Advanced Settings to go into the advanced settings page.

3. Click on Wireless Settings, then in the Wireless Basic Settings page, change the SSID and select Channel 6, then click OK to save.

4. Click on Wireless Security, and choose WPA-PSK as the Security Mode and AES as the WPA Algorithms, and set a password for R1.

Settings in R2:

1. Open a web browser in PC3 which connects to R2, and in the address bar please type in 192.168.0.1, and then click Enter, then you will be in the management page of R2.

2. Click on the Advanced Settings to go into the advanced settings page.

3. Click on Wireless Settings, then in the Wireless Basic Settings page, do the same settings as R1, then click OK to save.

4. Click on Wireless Security, and do the same settings as R1.

5. Click on Wireless Basic Settings, choose WDS, click open Scan to find and select the SSID of R1 to add its MAC Address, then click OK to save.

6. Click on Advanced Settings, then click on LAN Settings to change the LAN IP into 192.168.0.10

7. Go to DHCP Server to disable DHCP Server.

Now please go back to the management page of R1 to Scan and add the MAC Address of R2

Click on Wireless Basic Settings, choose Network Bridge (WDS) as the wireless working mode, then click Open Scan to find the SSID of R2 and select it to add its MAC address, then click OK to save.

Now all the settings are done.

Please check on PC3 which is connected to R2, if it can get the IP address from R1 and have internet, it means the WDS has been setup successfully.