User's Manual

Unified Services Router User Manual
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4.6 Wireless distribution system (WDS)
Setup > Wireless Settings > WDS
Wireless distribution system is a system enabling the wireless interconnection of
access points in a network. This feature is only guaranteed to work only between
devices of the same type.
Figure 49: Wireless Distribution System
 This feature is only guaranteed to work only between devices of the same type (i.e.
using the same chipset/driver). For example between two DSR250N boxes, or
between two DSR1000N. It should also interoperate between a DSR 1000N and
DSR 500 N boxes since they are based on the same chipset/driver.
When the user enables the WDS links use the same security configuration as the
default access point. The WDS links do not have true WPA/WPA2 support, as in there
is no WPA key handshake performed. Instead the Session Key to be used with a WDS
Peer is computed using a hashing function (similar to the one used for computing a
WPA PMK). The inputs to this function are a PSK (configurable by an administrator
from the WDS page) and an internal "magic" string (non-configurable).
In effect the WDS links use TKIP/AES encryption, depending on the encryption
configured for the default AP. In case the default AP uses mixed encryption (TKIP +
AES).The WDS link will use the AES encryption scheme.