WAP121/321 WDS

[leidenkranz]

I've got a customer looking to deploy a few WAPs.  I noticed the WDS feature provides seamless roaming.  Both WAPs will be PoE based so I do not need the wireless bridge feature as it seems redundant.  What is the best way to deploy these to present a single SSID, with roaming, even though they will both be wired?

Thanks,

[Tom Watts]

Hi Leidenkranz,

The issue you will encounter using the AP connecting both to the network will be spanning tree. The WDS bridge feature will act as a repeater under the condition one of the AP is not connecting to the network.

If using the WDS bridge feature while both AP are wired to the network, the spanning tree will block a port, if there is not spanning tree, you will have a network loop.

-Tom
Please rate helpful posts

[Amjad Abdullah]

Why should you use WDS? If there is the needed overlapping between two cells then it is enough to use non-overlapping channels on both APs and thats it.

You want to say "Thank you"? Don't. Just rate the useful answers, that is more useful than "Thank you".

[Matthew Ritchie]

I have done a few deployments with these Small Business APs, I would have preferred 1041N units and a controller, but this was the budget requirement.  Unfortunately the roaming in a system like this where all APs are powered directly from your Cisco switch(ie SG200-26P or SG300-28P), the roaming feature will not be available like it would where a device is acting as an intelligent controller.  That being said, if you use the WDS Bridging, where the APs are connected over wireless itself, and the APs are powered by a nearby outlet or a PoE splitter provides power but not the data connection, then you will get a few roaming benefits, since the APs will be "talking" to each other and will be capable of a proper hand-off.

If you can afford it, I would recommened the AP541N units that do the clustering, and/or the 2500 Controllers and 1041N LWAPS. They are awesome!