A method for setting up a link between WiFi system-based stations, wherein the method comprises: receiving, by a source access device, a discovery request sent by a source station, wherein the discovery request comprises at least a source station identifier and a target station identifier; querying, by the source access device, when it is determined that a target station and the source station are associated with different access devices, a preset database stored in the access device according to the target station identifier, to obtain a target access device associated with the target station, wherein the preset database stores a correspondence between an access device and a station identifier and an access device that has a coordination relationship with the source access device, wherein the coordination relationship refers to that there is a coordination interface between two access devices, and the two access devices are configured to transmit information to each other by using the coordination interface; when it is determined, by querying the preset database, that the source access device has a coordination relationship with the target access device, forwarding, by the source access device, the discovery request to the target access device, so that the target access device sends the discovery request to the target station, wherein when the target station determines that a direct link can be set up, the target station sends a discovery response to the source station; acquiring, by the source access device, when the source access device receives a setup request sent by the source station and a setup response sent by the target station, resource information of the direct link according to a source station resource and capability information that are carried in the setup request and a target station resource and capability information that are carried in the setup response; and sending, by the source access device, the resource information of the direct link to the source station and the target station, so that the source station and the target station set up the direct link according to the resource information of the direct link. receiving, by a source access device, a discovery request sent by a source station, wherein the discovery request comprises at least a source station identifier and a target station identifier; querying, by the source access device, when it is determined that a target station and the source station are associated with different access devices, a preset database stored in the access device according to the target station identifier, to obtain a target access device associated with the target station, wherein the preset database stores a correspondence between an access device and a station identifier and an access device that has a coordination relationship with the source access device, wherein the coordination relationship refers to that there is a coordination interface between two access devices, and the two access devices are configured to transmit information to each other by using the coordination interface; when it is determined, by querying the preset database, that the source access device has a coordination relationship with the target access device, forwarding, by the source access device, the discovery request to the target access device, so that the target access device sends the discovery request to the target station, wherein when the target station determines that a direct link can be set up, the target station sends a discovery response to the source station; acquiring, by the source access device, when the source access device receives a setup request sent by the source station and a setup response sent by the target station, resource information of the direct link according to a source station resource and capability information that are carried in the setup request and a target station resource and capability information that are carried in the setup response; and sending, by the source access device, the resource information of the direct link to the source station and the target station, so that the source station and the target station set up the direct link according to the resource information of the direct link.