Wireless Distribution System (Wds) - NETGEAR R6000 User Manual

Wireless Distribution System (WDS)

You can set the router up to be used as a wireless base station or a wireless repeater in a
wireless distribution system (WDS). A WDS lets you expand a wireless network through
multiple access points. A wireless base station connects to the Internet, can have wired and
wireless clients, and sends its wireless signal to an access point that functions as a wireless
repeater. A wireless repeater can also have wired and wireless clients, but connects to the
Internet through the wireless base station. The following figure shows a wireless repeating
scenario.
Figure 10. Wireless repeating scenario
Note: To use the wireless repeating function, you need to select None as
the security option in the Wireless Settings screen, and you cannot
select Auto Channel.
Wireless base station. The router acts as the parent access point, that bridges traffic to and
from the child repeater access point. The base station also handles wireless and wired local
computers. To configure this mode, you have to know the MAC addresses of the child
repeater access point. Often, the MAC address is on the product label.
Wireless repeater. The router sends all traffic from its local wireless or wired computers to a
remote access point. To configure this mode, you have to know the MAC address of the
remote parent access point.
The router is always in dual-band concurrent mode, unless you turn off one radio. If you
enable the wireless repeater in either radio band, the wireless base station or wireless
repeater cannot be enabled in the other radio band. However, if you enable the wireless base
R6000 WiFi Router
Base station
access point
Advanced Settings
89
Repeater
access point