DD-WRT:WDS multiple router setup

NEW WIKI MATERIAL
Multiple Routers can be setup with WDS, and the way that this is done is to set them up so they connect with adjacent routers. What this means is if your routers are in a line, you configure them to connect with only the one before and after them. Often enabling STP helps with connection issues. Here are the instructions that have worked for me:


 * 1) Download and install the proper dd-wrt version for your routers, using either Build 12548 or 12874. Here is a link to the 12548 folder:  ftp://dd-wrt.com/others/eko/V24_TNG/svn12548/.  If you don't know the proper build for your router read the wiki install guide for your router and the peacock announcement: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=51486
 * 2) Configure the primary router (the one that will connect to the internet) as you would normally configure the router.
 * 3) Hit save after making changes to each page of your primary router. Normally you have to do wireless encryption, wireless basic, basic, and WDS tabs.  I do my setups in that order.
 * 4) On the wireless basic page, wireless Mode should be Access Point and on the encryption page encryption should be WPA2-AES, although WEP also works.
 * 5) On the basic setup page, leave DHCP enabled on the primary router, and I also enable STP. STP is required for stable operation when using WPA encryption.  I like to use 192.168.1.5 as the lan address of the primary to keep it off the default 192.168.1.1
 * 6) In the WDS tab select LAN on the left for each router you wish to add and then put in the MAC address of only the router(s) that are immediately adjacent to this router in your WDS setup. Get the proper MAC address from the top of the WDS tab in the router(s) you want the primary router to connect with.
 * 7) Hit APPLY after finishing that page.
 * 8) Configure the secondary routers.
 * 9) Set up the wireless basic page and the wireless encryption page EXACTLY the same as you did on the primary router, using the same SSID, channel and encrpytion type and key. Hit Save after each page.
 * 10) Set up the WDS pages the same way, but use the MAC address from the router(s) that are adjacent to the one you are setting up. Hit Save.
 * 11) On the basic setup page, set the LAN IP address to the same subnet as the primary router, such as 192.168.1.6. Set the gateway to 192.168.1.5 (or whatever the IP address of your gateway device is). Disable DHCP on the secondary router.  Set the NTP server if you wish to. If you are using STP on the primary router then enable it for all the satellite routers.
 * 12) Hit APPLY
 * 13) Repeat setting up the secondary routers the same way.  The next one would be 192.168.1.7 etc.  Always use the mac address that you see in the WDS tab of the router you wish to connect to.
 * 14) Check the wireless status to see that all WDS nodes are connected.  If they are not, go in and hit "apply" on the WDS tab, and double check the MAC addresses to make sure there are not mistakes and that LAN is chosen.
 * 15) I usually go in and change the security settings  on the secondary routers, so only filter multicast is checked.

OLD WIKI MATERIAL
Verified with DD-WRT v24-sp2 (11/14/09) build 13309M --Macgyver 22:57, 06 January  2010 (CEST) This is a 3 router WDS setup using WRT350N and 2 WRT54G. WRT350N is the primary router, and has WAN access. The 1st WRT54G is connecting to the WRT350N, and the 2nd WRT54G connecting to the 1st WRT54G. I have also tested with WRT600N, WRT310N, WRT300N and WRT54GS, so any broadcom-based device should work with these settings, and remember to adjust Tx power and other options to your personal preferences If you only need a 2 router WDS setup, simply ignore the third router setup options; alternately if you need more, just add as needed

Router 1: WRT350N Basic setup page: IP 192.168.1.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 DHCP server enabled

Administration tab: change TCP timeouts to 120s

Wireless settings: Make sure all units are using WPA2 Personal AES encryption, same SSID, and wireless channel(s) (i.e all WPA2 AES, SSID 'ddwrt',  channel 6) on WDS tab set to 'LAN' mode and enter MAC address from first WRT54G Advanced wireless settings: Preamble: Auto

WRT54G #1 Administration tab: change TCP timeouts to 120s change max connections to 1024 if it is set to 512 Services tab: disable DNS masq and WAN traffic counter

Security tab: disable SPI firewall (optional)

Wireless settings: Wireless mode: G-only Make sure all units are using WPA2 Personal AES encryption, same SSID, and wireless channel(s) (i.e all WPA2 AES, SSID 'ddwrt',  channel 6) on WDS tab set to 'LAN' mode and enter MAC address from WRT350N and MAC address from second WRT54G Advanced wireless settings: Preamble: Auto

Basic setup page: Connection type: disabled IP 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1 Assign WAN port to switch checked (optional) DHCP Server: Disabled Uncheck all 3 boxes in DHCP section (Use DNSMasq for DHCP/Use DNSMasq for DNS/DHCP-Authoritative)

WRT54G #2 Administration tab: change TCP timeouts to 120s change max connections to 1024 if it is set to 512

Services tab: disable DNS masq and WAN traffic counter

Security tab: disable SPI firewall (optional)

Wireless settings: Wireless mode: G-only Make sure all units are using WPA2 Personal AES encryption, same SSID, and wireless channel(s) (i.e all WPA2 AES, SSID 'ddwrt',  channel 6) on WDS tab set to 'LAN' mode and enter MAC address from first WRT54G Advanced wireless settings: Preamble: Auto

Basic setup page: Connection type: disabled IP 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1 Assign WAN port to switch checked (optional) DHCP Server: Disabled Uncheck all 3 boxes in DHCP section (Use DNSMasq for DHCP/Use DNSMasq for DNS/DHCP-Authoritative)

Reboot first router, then once first router has internet, power up second router, then third, etc... That's it!