User's Manual

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Traditionally, access points are connected by Ethernet. By Wireless Distribution System (WDS), APs
can communicate with one another wirelessly. For example, in Fig. 38, AP 2 acts as an access point
for the notebook computers and it forwards packets sent from the notebook computers to AP 1
through WDS. Then, AP 1 forwards the packets to the Ethernet LAN. Packets destined for the note-
book computers follow a reverse path from the Ethernet LAN through the APs to the notebook com-
puters. In this way, AP 2 plays a role of “AP repeater”.
LAN
Segment 2
LAN
Segment 1
Bridge 1
WDS Link
Bridge 2
Fig. 39. LAN-to-LAN bridging.
By WDS, two or more LAN segments can be connected wirelessly. As illustrated in Fig. 39, a pair of
wireless LAN-to-LAN bridges is used to connect two LAN segments. Since the AP is WDS-enabled,
it can be used as a wireless bridge.
NOTE: An AP can have up to 6 WDS links to other APs or wireless bridges.
Fig. 40. Wireless Distribution System settings.
To enable a WDS link:
1. Specify the MAC address of the AP at the other end of the WDS link.
2. Select the corresponding Enabled check box.
For example, assume you want two APs with MAC addresses 00-02-65-01-62-C5 and
00-02-65-01-62-C6 to establish a WDS link between them. On AP 00-02-65-01-62-C5, set the peer
MAC address of port 1 to 00-02-65-01-62-C6 and on AP 00-02-65-01-62-C6, set the peer MAC ad-
dress of port 1 to 00-02-65-01-C5.
TIP: Plan your wireless network and draw a diagram, so that you know how an AP is connected to
other peer APs or wireless bridges by WDS.
TIP: Plan your wireless network and draw a diagram, so that you know how a bridge is connected to
other peer bridges by WDS. See the following figure for an example network-planning diagram.