Are there any benifits to enabling WDS without WLSE?

[rseals]

My clients will be using WPA with PEAP and 2 ACS 3.3 servers for authentication. Other than having an AP to be the focal point for authentication for a Wireless segment. Are there any benefits to using WDS without having WLSE?

[wong34539]

For information on WDS refer,

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/wireless/ps4570/products_configuration_example09186a00801c951f.shtml

[jens.neelsen]

Yes, there are benefits from WDS:

- list of client associations

- list of access points in domain

- fast secure roaming for LEAP (and EAP-FAST?)

- local authentication (radius backup) for LEAP and EAP-FAST

- radio management aggregation

Only radio management needs WLSE to be useful.

Local authentication is possible without WDS.

WDS can be configured on an access point and also on an IOS router (like the 2811) from IOS 12.3(11)T with security feature sets.

As an network administrator I would not do it without WDS. I does not cost extra or performance but it gives centralized information on the WDS device.

Jens Neelsen