[SOLVED] WDS routers

[Thomas1537]

If I buy a router with wds features and I want to use it as an extender of my main router, does my main router also have to have the wds feature? Also, if the secondary router does manage to connect to the main router using WDS, how fast will my network be if I plug my computer into the ethernet port of the secondary router? My computer has 1gbps ethernet port.

 

[kerberos_20]

if you use it as a router, then it will be as fast as half of your wireless connection
WDS may be incompatible between different products as that standart doesnt define how devices will connect/talk with eachother
if WDS is no go, you will probablly end up in repeater mode

 

[Thomas1537]

Would a mesh node be a better idea? The thing is, I'm trying to save money.

 

[bill001g]

Why do you need a repeater. If you plug your pc into the remote unit with ethernet you have in effect made a wifi adapter. It is not much different than if you had bought a wifi USB adapter. The speed between the remote unit and the main router will be about the same as any other wifi connection.....much much less than 1gb ethernet.

There are some repeaters that can run without WDS. I think tplink can and they call this "universal" repeater if I remember correctly. The repeater acts as a router with a wifi WAN connection. This means you will have issues sharing files between devices on the main router and the remote repeater.

Mesh is in many ways worse than needing WDS. Almost all mesh systems only talk to stuff from the same manufacture and in some cases there are incompatibilities between different lines of devices from the same manufacture. There is no real standard for mesh so everything is proprietary and incompatible. Mesh will likely cost you more because you must replace your router not just add a extra remote system. Mesh is also the trendy thing to do so you pay extra just for that....even though most mesh systems have the same huge performance downsides as any simple repeater.

 

[Thomas1537]

Why do you need a repeater. If you plug your pc into the remote unit with ethernet you have in effect made a wifi adapter. It is not much different than if you had bought a wifi USB adapter. The speed between the remote unit and the main router will be about the same as any other wifi connection.....much much less than 1gb ethernet.

There are some repeaters that can run without WDS. I think tplink can and they call this "universal" repeater if I remember correctly. The repeater acts as a router with a wifi WAN connection. This means you will have issues sharing files between devices on the main router and the remote repeater.

Mesh is in many ways worse than needing WDS. Almost all mesh systems only talk to stuff from the same manufacture and in some cases there are incompatibilities between different lines of devices from the same manufacture. There is no real standard for mesh so everything is proprietary and incompatible. Mesh will likely cost you more because you must replace your router not just add a extra remote system. Mesh is also the trendy thing to do so you pay extra just for that....even though most mesh systems have the same huge performance downsides as any simple repeater.

oh ok