connecting 2 routers & general questions

[her34]

Suppose typical scenario: cable modem <--> router A <--> router B



1) What's the difference between Wireless Distribution System vs Client Mode Wireless? Are they the same thing? They both connect two routers wirelessly and allow clients to connect to router B

2) Any configuration allow seamless wireless roaming over both routers?

 

[JackMDS]

May be this can Help.

Wireless Modes - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Modes.html

Client Mode is like game Adapter. Wireless Card that does not need Drivers, it take in Wireless ans "spit" out to wire (or a computer port).

WDS (Aka Repeater) takes in Wireless in and "spit" out Wireless to further the signal.

 

[her34]

so wds does not allow seamless roaming since it spits out and creates its own subnetwork?

 

[spidey07]

What do you mean by seamless roaming? Roaming without rekeying/reauthentication?

AFAIK that is not availble on the SOHO market. It could be with a "business" line of SOHO products. AFAIK, there is still no standard for roaming between access points. There are vendor proprietary methods that work VERY well in the sub 50 millisecond range.

 

[her34]

Originally posted by: spidey07
What do you mean by seamless roaming? Roaming without rekeying/reauthentication?

AFAIK that is not availble on the SOHO market. It could be with a "business" line.

i mean moving a laptop using wifi from router A to router B without breaking internet connection (such as playing an online game)

(like how you can use a cell phone while driving and maintain constant connection)

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: her34

Originally posted by: spidey07
What do you mean by seamless roaming? Roaming without rekeying/reauthentication?

AFAIK that is not availble on the SOHO market. It could be with a "business" line.

i mean moving a laptop using wifi from router A to router B without breaking internet connection

(like how you can use a cell phone while driving and maintain constant connection)

That should be no problem for any multiple access point implementation. Just setup multiple wireless access points (same SSID and authentication/encryption), the client will decide which one to use/authenticate to. The authentication time can take a few seconds when it switches APs but will not break layer4.

 

[JackMDS]

WDS does not create it s subnetwork it is rather a transparent device.

It splits the bandwidth into half past the device because entry level units has only one radio that needs to Flip-Flop between Receive and Transmit.

Spidey has a point, seamless roaming with entry level hardware is a "crap shoot" some time it works, most times it does not, and there is Nothing that you can do about it.

Multiple Access points connect with wires can be a little better than WDS because you can play with channels and SSID, but the results are "iffy" as well.

 

[her34]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: her34

Originally posted by: spidey07
What do you mean by seamless roaming? Roaming without rekeying/reauthentication?

AFAIK that is not availble on the SOHO market. It could be with a "business" line.

i mean moving a laptop using wifi from router A to router B without breaking internet connection

(like how you can use a cell phone while driving and maintain constant connection)

That should be no problem for any multiple access point implementation. Just setup multiple wireless access points (same SSID and authentication/encryption), the client will decide which one to use/authenticate to. The authentication time can take a few seconds when it switches APs but will not break layer4.

hypothetically, can you have seamless roaming over any 2 wireless access points?

for example:

your cable modem <--> router A
neighbor's cable modem <--> router B

router A & B have set same ssid/authentication

 

[her34]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Spidey has a point, seamless roaming with entry level hardware is a "crap shoot" some time it works, most times it does not, and there is Nothing that you can do about it.

Multiple Access points connect with wires can be a little better than WDS because you can play with channels and SSID, but the results are "iffy" as well.

given 2 access points, there would be better results to set them up without seamless roaming and let a laptop log in to either one?

do wifi adapters automatically log in to the stronger router if 2 are available at different strength signals?

 

[spidey07]

It would be a LOT easier if you just post what you want to accomplish.

 

[her34]

Originally posted by: spidey07
It would be a LOT easier if you just post what you want to accomplish.

the end goal is just connecting 2 routers wireless but i'm trying to understand how various modes work.

laptops will be regularly used at various locations in the house so i was asking about seamless roaming because i wanted the laptop to maintain a constant connection with the strongest router

 

[JackMDS]

In theory Windows suppose to log to the strongest signal but it does not work this way with Entry Level Access Point.

I.e in most cases it will maintain the connection with the initial signal and would not switch unless the initial signal is "dead".

 

[abre]

Originally posted by: her34

Originally posted by: spidey07
It would be a LOT easier if you just post what you want to accomplish.

the end goal is just connecting 2 routers wireless but i'm trying to understand how various modes work.

laptops will be regularly used at various locations in the house so i was asking about seamless roaming because i wanted the laptop to maintain a constant connection with the strongest router

It sounds like WDS is your best bet since you need the connection between the two routers to be wireless. You'd get the best performance if you can run a hard line between them and run one in access point mode since you won't have to dedicate any of the wireless bandwidth to the connection between the two devices.

I've got two of the Linksys WRT54G routers running the DD-WRT firmware. I run one in bridge mode so I can plug my Xbox into it. The performance is pretty good. It does choke on large video files.

It helps to upgrade the stock antennas. You can pick up 7 dbi antennas on ebay pretty cheap. For a good cheap router, I'd recommend the Buffalo WHR-G125 which you can pick up for $25 AR and then flash DD-WRT or Tomato firmware to get extra functionality.