Editing Wireless LAN (section)

=== Wireless distribution system ===
A [[wireless distribution system]] (WDS) enables the wireless interconnection of access points in an IEEE 802.11 network. It allows a wireless network to be expanded using multiple access points without the need for a wired backbone to link them, as is traditionally required. The notable advantage of a WDS over some other solutions is that it preserves the MAC addresses of client packets across links between access points.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=WDS_Linked_router_network|title=Wireless Distribution System Linked Router Network|website=DD-WRT Wiki|access-date=December 31, 2006|archive-date=June 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630160927/http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php?title=WDS_Linked_router_network|url-status=live}}</ref> 

An access point can be either a main, relay, or remote base station. A main base station is typically connected to the wired Ethernet. A relay base station relays data between remote base stations, wireless clients or other relay stations to either a main or another relay base station. A remote base station accepts connections from wireless clients and passes them to relay or main stations.

Because data is forwarded wirelessly, consuming wireless bandwidth, throughput in this method is halved for wireless clients not connected to a main base station. Connections between base stations are done at layer-2 and do not involve or require layer-3 IP addresses. WDS capability may also be referred to as repeater mode because it appears to bridge and accept wireless clients at the same time (unlike traditional bridging).

All base stations in a WDS must be configured to use the same radio channel and share WEP keys or WPA keys if they are used. They can be configured to different service set identifiers. WDS also requires that every base station be configured to forward to others in the system as mentioned above.