So I am trying to connect a Netgear WAX206 (on 23.05-rc2) to a Mercusys MR90X (on Snapshot r23715-80edfaf675) in order to use the Netgear as a bridge into my Network for some wired clients.
I was following https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/atheroswds and it simpy does not work (did the config on the Netgear now twice after a full reset just to be sure), but the Netgear already has no network connection in the sense that I can't ping either the other side (so the MR90X) or the Internet (as in 8.8.8.8), so obviously DHCP is already not working on a wired client.
So I am wondering what to do in order to debug that.
Mode on the MR90X is set to Access Point (WDS), the client Netgear is configured as Client (WDS) and associated:
I guess at that point I should be able to reach my network and the internet from the Netgear? But I can't. I also did all the other changes (set the Wifi Network Configuration to LAN and enabled STP, set the default gateway and enabled DNS forwarding).
What would be the steps to figure out what is going on? I guess there is just a simple thing that I don't understand and that is not in the docs that needs to be done?
It may sounds silly, but did you configure the Netgear as an AP before configuring the WDS settings?
Also try HT20, simply as a test.
In doubt, post /etc/config/network and etc/config/wireless for both devices.
You mean if I have APs configured on the Radios? No, I have not, I just wanted to use the ports. Is that a requirement?
I have switched to Meshing now, which also did not work ... up till the point I switched to HT20, now it works.... then I changed channels and now the mesh works reliable for me. No idea what that was.
You need first to configure the whole device as a dump AP. Use a wire link to main router. This way, the device will act as a switch for wired computers, and AP for wifi devices.
You configure a WDS link instead of the wire link. Depending of the wifi performances and distance, use either the 5GHz of the 2.4GHz. Make tests of power transmit and channels. https://openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/network/wifi/atheroswds. The device will still act as a switch for wired computers. You can even use the wifis.
I have tested meshing and it appears that WDS gives better result. Nevertheless the choice may depends on hardware of routers.
I do not really see what would be the difference to just doing step 2, as most of the network configuration steps seem to be equivalent, so setting up the router and then direclty create a WDS link to the main router should at least make the client router have an internet connection via the WDS link, which it didn't for me.
If not, than the secondary device acts itself as another router. You will have IP range conflits.
What you need is a secondary device acting like a dumb AP. The link to the primary device (the only router) can be done by wire, or in your case by WDS.
Actually I only need 2 min to setup a device as dump AP and WDs linked. It's fast and easy.
