why channel is different?

Thats working - but without repeater mode(i tried it many times).
To get that working realy simple, just install actual trunk on main and client device. Then install luci.
You can then just simple setup WDS mode. The main device (192.168.1.1) run in WDS master and the client(192.168.1.2) in WDS client. I used that with exactly two of that devices.

To get repeater working, you have to make on the WDS client device an second virtual interface with same settings as master deivce - that never worked for me.

What you can of course do is connect a third device on the WDS client via cable and let it running with 192.168.1.3 and exactly same configuration as the first device.

Dont forget to disable DHCP on WDS client and when used then also on the third device.

Here i asked same thing: https://forum.openwrt.org/viewtopic.php?id=35687

what I was able to do:
Connect the "client" to "main" and making the "client" connect to the internet. I updated/installed the packages I want but I was only able to do that while I was wired to "client" and the weirdest thing is that while the "client" was connected to the internet and through ssh I could ping websites and everything, on my computer I had no connection. And if I took the cable out, I couldn't access its web interface.

Firmware Version: 3.11.5 Build 100427 Rel.61427n
Hardware Version: WR1043N v1 00000000

LAN
MAC Address: 11-22-33-44-55-66
IP Address: 192.168.1.254
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Wireless
Wireless Radio: Enable
Name (SSID): wdstest
Channel: 13
Mode: 11bgn mixed
Channel Width: 20MHz
Max Tx Rate: 130Mbps
MAC Address: 11-22-33-44-55-66
WDS Status: Run

SSID: wdstest   
Region: United Kingdom
Channel: 13
Mode: 11bgn mixed
Channel Width: 20MHz
Max Tx Rate: 130Mbps

[x] Enable Wireless Router Radio
[x] Enable SSID Broadcast
[x] Enable WDS

SSID(to be bridged): wdstest
BSSID(to be bridged): 99-88-77-66-55-44

Key type: WPA-PSK/WPA-PSK
Password: password

[o] WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
Version: WPA2-PSK
Encryption: AES
PSK Password: password

config interface 'lan'
option ifname 'eth0.1'
option type 'bridge'
option proto 'static'
option netmask '255.255.255.0'
option ipaddr '192.168.1.1'
option gateway '192.168.1.254'
option dns '192.168.1.254'

config wifi-device 'radio0'
        option type 'mac80211'
        option macaddr '99:88:77:66:55:44'
        list ht_capab 'SHORT-GI-40'
        list ht_capab 'DSSS_CCK-40'
        option country 'GB'
        option txpower '20'
        option channel '13'

config wifi-iface
        option device 'radio0'
        option network 'lan'
        option encryption 'psk2+ccmp'
        option wds '1'
        option mode 'ap'
        option ssid 'wdstest'
        option key 'password'

monkeyvsmonkey wrote:

what I was able to do:
Connect the "client" to "main" and making the "client" connect to the internet. I updated/installed the packages I want but I was only able to do that while I was wired to "client" and the weirdest thing is that while the "client" was connected to the internet and through ssh I could ping websites and everything, on my computer I had no connection. And if I took the cable out, I couldn't access its web interface.

A little bit OT: Does this mean that you can connect one TL-WR1043ND ("client", with OpenWrt running) to another one ("main") over WLAN and connect Ethernet devices to the "client" which can then access the rest of the WLAN? I'm asking because I have some devices (TV, BD-Player) which only have Ethernet ports and I don't want to install cables in the complete building. I already asked TP-Link if the TL-WR1043ND supports the Client Mode but they negated that.

Thanks,

Simon

I tested today and WDS between TP-Link stock firmware and OpenWRT works.

The main WR1043ND router was stock firmware and the other WR1043ND was backfire 10.03.1-final and also the latest trunk.

It seems ath9k does not support Client (WDS) yet. I had to configure OpenWRT as Access Point (WDS) for it to work.

With trunk I was able to use WPA2/AES but with backfire 10.03.1-final only WPA/AES worked but it should be fine either way.

I configured the main router as 192.168.1.254 and left OpenWRT as 192.168.1.1.

monkeyvsmonkey wrote:

what I was able to do:
Connect the "client" to "main" and making the "client" connect to the internet. I updated/installed the packages I want but I was only able to do that while I was wired to "client" and the weirdest thing is that while the "client" was connected to the internet and through ssh I could ping websites and everything, on my computer I had no connection. And if I took the cable out, I couldn't access its web interface.

A little bit OT: Does this mean that you can connect one TL-WR1043ND ("client", with OpenWrt running) to another one ("main") over WLAN and connect Ethernet devices to the "client" which can then access the rest of the WLAN? I'm asking because I have some devices (TV, BD-Player) which only have Ethernet ports and I don't want to install cables in the complete building. I already asked TP-Link if the TL-WR1043ND supports the Client Mode but they negated that.

Thanks,

Simon

j8soot wrote:

I tested today and WDS between TP-Link stock firmware and OpenWRT works.

The main WR1043ND router was stock firmware and the other WR1043ND was backfire 10.03.1-final and also the latest trunk.

It seems ath9k does not support Client (WDS) yet. I had to configure OpenWRT as Access Point (WDS) for it to work.

With trunk I was able to use WPA2/AES but with backfire 10.03.1-final only WPA/AES worked but it should be fine either way.

I configured the main router as 192.168.1.254 and left OpenWRT as 192.168.1.1.

I will give this a try but I'm not sure I will be able to use the OpenWRT as the main router. Since my connection is over PPPOE and I was having trouble setting it up. I had all packages installed and everything. But that's an issue for another topic. Later this afternoon I'm give this a shot.

Thank you so much for the details on your setup.

monkeyvsmonkey wrote:

j8soot wrote:

I tested today and WDS between TP-Link stock firmware and OpenWRT works.

The main WR1043ND router was stock firmware and the other WR1043ND was backfire 10.03.1-final and also the latest trunk.

It seems ath9k does not support Client (WDS) yet. I had to configure OpenWRT as Access Point (WDS) for it to work.

With trunk I was able to use WPA2/AES but with backfire 10.03.1-final only WPA/AES worked but it should be fine either way.

I configured the main router as 192.168.1.254 and left OpenWRT as 192.168.1.1.

I will give this a try but I'm not sure I will be able to use the OpenWRT as the main router. Since my connection is over PPPOE and I was having trouble setting it up. I had all packages installed and everything. But that's an issue for another topic. Later this afternoon I'm give this a shot.

Thank you so much for the details on your setup.

Wait you misunderstand. You do not have to switch your routers around.

I tested the same as your network setup with the main router running the TP-Link stock firmware and the client router running OpenWRT.

I see where it is unclear. The Access Point (WDS) and Client (WDS) don't mean main router and client router it only describes what the router provides. So Client (WDS) = WDS bridge but only for wired devices and Access Point (WDS) = WDS bridge for wired devices and wireless devices.

main router + main LAN devices + main wireless devices <-> WDS bridge <-> client router + client LAN devices  + client wireless devices

The main router is the WR1043ND running TP-Link stock firmware and it handles everything (DHCP, NAT, firewall, PPPOE to WAN, etc). The client router is the WR1043ND running OpenWRT and it is effectively working as a wireless switch meaning it simply allows it's connected devices (LAN and wireless) to communicate with the main router and it's connected devices (WAN, LAN and wireless).