Would it be possible to add 4 MAC address mode to WDS implementation? So bridged access points will act like station-psedobridge but in AP bridge mode, allowing greater flexibility in mesh networks.

What is WDS4? When transferring wired data across a wireless bridge there are 4 MAC addresses involved: the MAC addresses of the wired source and destination devices and the MAC addresses of the wireless bridge on either side of the connection:

Source MAC === Bridge1 ))) ((( Bridge2 === Destination MAC

WDS4 includes all 4 MAC addresses in the data frame, so stations on the destination side of the network can find out the MAC address of the source device. This can be used eg for MAC authentication, billing purposes, etc.

MT acting as a wireless bridge uses 3-address mode, whereby the bridge uses its own MAC address to send the source’s data frames, which means the MAC address of the source device is unknown to devices on the destination network.

MT acting as a wireless bridge uses 3-address mode, whereby the bridge uses its own MAC address to send the source’s data frames, which means the MAC address of the source device is unknown to devices on the destination network.

Are you sure that they don't use 4 address mode ?

WDS with only 3 address mode is not WDS. It is pseudo bridge : MAC NAT working only for IPv4, or working for level 2 protocols but only with a single machine in the LAN.


WDS should give true level 2 bridging.