Introduction

Following on from the 802.11b and 802.11g article and the implementation of Wi-Fi access points to cover your workspace, another option to allow a large space to be covered by Wi-Fi access is to use WDS – Wireless Distribution Service – to enable a somewhat managed wireless network with seamless transitioning between access points.  This is useful in places such as a warehouse floor with Wi-Fi enabled devices that staff use to stock shelves, pick orders and perform stock takes and also in areas such as nursing homes, hospitals and office buildings where staff are often moving from location to location and need wireless connectivity throughout the building.

Although WDS is described in the 802.11 standard, it is not certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the body who ensures devices using the “Wi-Fi” trademark are all relatively interoperable.  This means that one vendor’s implementation of WDS may be incompatible with another vendor’s implementation, which basically means that you need to plan a WDS network from the ground up and not just add random devices assuming they will all play nicely together.

There are a few other mesh networking protocols available as an alternative to WDS that are currently available.  The main two would be OLSR (http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3626.html) and B.A.T.M.A.N. (http://www.open-mesh.net/batman) with more, no doubt, to come.  The advantage at this point of WDS is that it is built into a number of Wi-Fi Access Points currently on the market.