28 November 2010 ~ 3 Comments

How to Setup WDS with Asus RT-N16 and Linksys WRT54G

Wireless Distribution System (WDS) 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 (Wikipedia). This how to is specific to Asus RT-N16 and Linksys Linksys WRT54G/GS/GL setup using Tomato firmware.

Some basics before we get to the instructions:

  • Assumes you have Tomato firmware installed on both routers (best to use the same versions eg. 1.28 on both)
  • The host router is the router which does have the internet connection and is going to share it with other routers. In this case I’m using my Asus RT-N16
  • The client router is the router which does not have an internet connection (Linksys WRT54G/GS/GL).
  • Take note of your wireless MAC address for both routers, Status -> Overview-> Wireless -> MAC Address

  • Also, it is a good idea to turn off any encryption while setting up WDS. You can re-enable it after you have things working properly.
  • In case things go wrong, take a snapshot of your configuration on both host and client routers: Administration->Configuration->Backup Configuration->Backup

Step-by-step Instructions

  1. For the client router (Linksys WRT54G), on the Basic -> Network page, in the WAN section: set type to Disabled and Use WAN port for LAN unchecked
  2. on the Basic->Network page, in the LAN section:
  3. set the Router IP Address to a static IP in the range of the host router (e.g. if your host router’s IP is 192.168.1.1, set your client router’s IP to 192.168.1.10).
  4. set the Subnet Mask to the same value as the host router (eg 255.255.255.0)
  5. set the Default Gateway to the host router IP address (eg 192.168.1.1)
  6. set the Static DNS to the host router IP address (eg 192.168.1.1)
  7. uncheck the DHCP Server to disable it (you can only have one DHCP server per network).
  8. For both the client router and the host router, on the Basic -> Network page, in the Wireless section:
  9. set the Channel to the same channel on both routers
  10. set Wireless Network Mode to G only on both routers
  11. set the host router’s Wireless Mode to Access Point + WDS
  12. set the client router’s Wireless Mode to Access Point + WDS
  13. set the WDS to Link With…
  14. on the host router, add the client router’s Wireless MAC address to the first MAC Address field
  15. on the client router, add the host router’s Wireless MAC address to the first MAC Address field
  16. click Save on both routers
  17. on the client router, set a Static DHCP (Basic–>Static DHCP) of the host router using the Wireless MAC.
  18. on the host router, set a Static DHCP (Basic–>Static DHCP) of the client router using the Wireless MAC.
  19. test settings by connecting to client and host router. If that works try connecting to the internet using a computer that is physically connected to the client router and then wirelessly. If you’re having issues, try unplugging both routers and then plugging back in.
  20. If you are unable to connect to your host router even with a wired connection, then you will need to reset the Asus RT N-16 as follows: remove the power cord, hold down the Red WPS button while plugging power in. You can then reload your backed up config file and try again.
  21. If you are unable to connect to your client router even with a wired connection, then you will need to reset the Linksys WRT54G/GS/GL as follows: hold down the reset button for 10 secs, remove the power cord and wait for 10 secs while still holding down the reset button, plug the power cord back in while holding down the reset button for 10 secs. You can then reload your backed up config file and try again.
  22. if everything is working you can now setup wireless encryption. set Security to WPA Personal, Encryption to AES on both routers

Most of the instructions come from Wikibooks and the Tomato FAQ but is tailored for those with a Asus RT-N16 and Linksys WRT54G router.

3 Responses to “How to Setup WDS with Asus RT-N16 and Linksys WRT54G”

  1. Ryan 10 December 2011 at 7:03 am Permalink

    So I have these 2 routers (both running tomato 1.28) and I can not get this working.

    Was yours stable once it was running?

  2. Ryan 10 December 2011 at 8:11 am Permalink

    Never mind. I was not using the wireless MAC address. Once I used the correct MAC addresses to link the 2 units it worked perfectly. I was able to use WPA AES Encryption as well!


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