CoovaAP WDS

WDS stands for Wireless Distribution System. Basically, it allows for multiple access points to share (or bridge) a single wireless network. With CoovaAP, you can use WDS to extend the range of your HotSpot network. Only the router with the Internet connection should be running chilli, the hotspot access controller. All other APs should be setup as WDS repeaters; with no hotspot enabled, no WAN, no DHCP. In this example, AP1 has the Internet connection and gets assigned an IP address using DHCP. The AP2 router is purely for WDS extending of the wireless network.

Diagram

Configurations

AP1

    System
 
        System Settings
            Host Name:            AP1
            boot_wait:            Enabled
 
    Network
 
        LAN
            IP Address:            10.0.0.1
            Netmask:            255.0.0.0
            Default Gateway:    
 
        DHCP
            LAN DHCP Services:    Enabled
 
        WAN
            Connection Type:    DHCP
 
        Wireless
            Wireless Interface:    Enabled
            ESSID Broadcast:    Show
            ESSID:            Coova
            Channel:            5
            Mode:            Access Point
 
            (your settings may be different from this, but must be the
            same between the routers in the WDS network)
  
        Advanced Wireless
 
            * add the MAC address of the wireless interface of AP2 to the 
           WDS Connections list (the wireless MAC address can be found in 
           Status / Wireless after the label Access Point)
 
            Automatic WDS:    Disabled
            Filter Mode:            Disabled
 
    HotSpot
 
        HotSpot Configurations
            HotSpot Type:    ChilliSpot UAM
            HotSpot Mode:    LAN & Wireless
 
            (here your configurations may vary, HotSpot Type of Facebook or Internal, for instance)
 
        DHCP
            Dynamic IP Pool Network:    10.0.1.0
            Dynamic IP Pool Netmask:    255.255.255.0
 
            (all other settings are their defaults or blank)

AP2

    System
 
        System Settings
            Host Name:            AP2
            boot_wait:            Enabled
 
    Network
 
        LAN
            IP Address:            10.0.0.2
            Netmask:            255.0.0.0
            Default Gateway:    10.0.0.1
 
        DHCP
            LAN DHCP Services:    Disabled
 
        WAN
            Connection Type:    None
 
        Wireless
            Wireless Interface:    Enabled
            ESSID Broadcast:    Show
            ESSID:            Coova
            Channel:            5
            Mode:            Access Point
  
            (your settings may be different from this, but must be the
            same between the routers in the WDS network)
 
        Advanced Wireless
 
            * add the MAC address of the wireless interface of AP1 to the 
           WDS Connections list (the wireless MAC address can be found in 
           Status / Wireless after the label Access Point)
 
            Automatic WDS:    Disabled
            Filter Mode:            Disabled
 
    HotSpot
 
        HotSpot Configurations
            HotSpot Type:    Disabled

Note 1: The SSIDs do not have to be the same, unless you're also using encryption. It is useful to have different SSIDs while testing the WDS setup.

Note 2: The DHCP Services on the host router do not have to be enabled, as Chilli hands out IP addresses to clients.