Does anyone know of a meshing solution (such as OLSR, AODV, WDS, etc) that will allow a single OpenWRT WAP to act as both a traffic-relaying mesh participant and as an (ad-hoc of course) AP for normal 802.11b clients (such as a random user with a laptop and no special software). My understanding is that WDS does not allow this but I am not sure about OLSR or AODV or other solutions.

Also, does anyone know if OLSR and AODV are layer 2 (can work with IPX etc), or do they only relay IP packets?

I have an idea for a layer 2 meshing solution that will allow non-mesh clients to communicate transparently across the mesh, but before I go reinventing the wheel, I want to make sure someone hasn't already made an OpenWRT package for it.

Thanks!

Hi!

My understating is that WDS does allow that.  WDS allow you to have the AP to communicate to another AP and both AP can accept clients (please, somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

Hey you're right about WDS, I only read the part where it's full speed if not talking to normal hosts. I missed the bit where it says is goes half speed when talking to normal hosts + WDS at the same time.

Well, since that pretty mich answers my question, does anyone have any insight on, or links to, comparisons to WDS vs OLSR vs AODV as in which is better in which circumstances?

Thanks again!

WDS.... It can be a good solution, you can find a good explanation here:

http://bulma.net/body.phtml?nIdNoticia=1624

It is in spanish, but has some links to standards.

Basically, it is a "bridge" mode.  It allows one to get something like this:

LAN <- linux bridge (br0) -> wds0.2 <- air -> wds0.2 <- linux bridge (br0) -> wds0.3 <- air -> wds0.2 <- linux bridge (br0) ->

I tried to draw three WRTs, two of them with one wds interface with a bridge to LAN (vlan0), like this:

br0: Interfaces: eth1, wds0.2 and vlan0.

The other (the one in the center) has:

br0: Interfaces: eth1, wds0.2, wds0.3 and vlan0

Like this:

LAN <-> WRT54GS <- AIR -> WRT54GS <- AIR -> WRT54GS <-> LAN

Off course, you could have wireless clientes in any of these, and you should have all of them in the same channel.

As usual, I can be wrong.  If I made a mistake, some body please correct me.