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Multi-WRT54G routers WDS and extending Wireless Range

GimmeSlack12

GimmeSlack12

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 29, 2005
5,406
14
San Francisco
Ok I have two routers (WRT54G) that are identical and I'm trying to use the second one to extend the range of my wireless network.

I've upgraded the 2nd one with the dd-wrt firmware so that the WDS and bridging and stuff was available but I still haven't been able to get it to work. Here's a rundown of what I've done (tried):

1) 2nd router has DHCP server Off.
2) Set 2nd router WDS to include the wireless MAC of the 1st router.
3) Attempted the bridging setting.
4) Set 2nd router to different IP

It isn't working out.
Should I update the 1st router to dd-wrt as well? Help me please!
(if I forgot any details let me know)
 
Cybix said:
probably need to update both routers (make them the same)

have you checked any manufacturer FAQ/help sites?
Click to expand...

Yeah I have gone ahead and updated the other router as well.

MacRumors is my FAQ/Help Site ;) Although I have slaved through a few other forums and found some good info to try. I keep finding solutions for this type of setup using a WRT54G and an Airport Express, which is just not clear enough for my situation.
 
Thanks for the link. I just spent some time last night trying (again) to get my WRT54G running OpenWRT to work with WDS and my Airport Express.

Perhaps I have to bite the bullet and switch to DD-WRT.... Or just but a WRT54GL and make the remote station another WRT.

B
 
I setup my Airport Express today to connect to the network with WDS as well. If you need any help let me know. I will say this make sure you set your linksys to include the MAC address of the AE. After that it is mostly up to your AE settings to get it working. Let me know what problems you have.
 
I may have to take you up on that offer.

I finally got the Airport express to give me a green light, by disabling DHCP and giving it a manual address or connecting it to the Linksys with a ethernet patch cord, but it doesn't actually seem to be working. Site surveys show strong signal strength from the Airport, but it doesn't actually seem to get used, and the net performance is worse. :(

I have a feeling its something in my OpenWRT configuration, but I can't see anything wrong with it.

The Airport Express works great as a client, just not with WDS.

B
 
Yeah I have no idea about OpenWRT, but as long as it has WDS support I don't know why it wouldn't work. Anyway I used this site's instructions (although there are many other like it):
http://weblogs.java.net/blog/inder/archive/2004/10/using_airport_e_1.html

It's a little cryptic but overall I got through it just fine. An important step in finding out if your AE is transmitting internet is to make sure the SSID is different than your regular router, then you'll have 2 networks listed in your airport menu. Once you realize your AE is transmitting you can make the SSID's the same and therefore seamless.
 
FWIW I tried to get it back to working in client mode this evening and it just will not connect to my network. I imported the configuration I had saved before this last attempt at WDS to no avail.

I may get back to it this weekend. Grrr...

BTW the most recent builds of DD-WRT are OpenWRT based, so there should not be much in the way of differences.

B
 
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