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A weird question about WEP?

Hello,

The situation is as follows:

I have two wireless routers for the sake of clarity, we'll call them A and B. A is connected to the cable modem, while B is connected to A. The DHCP server of B is deactivated, so B should be serving only as a switch.

The wireless portions of the routers are configured on separate SSIDs and channels. Ideally, I would like to set A up as a secure network via WEP, and leave B as open .

So long as I run both networks as open/unsecured, I can access devices associated to B's wireless network from computers on A's wireless network. However, if I configure A and its associated devices for WEP, I am no longer able to access B's wireless devices from computers onn A.

Why is this the case? If B is serving as a switch, shouldn't I be able to access all devices on B regardless of how devices on A are connecting?

Thanks,

--Al

Reply to
Al Puzzuoli
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B is serving as a router (not as a gateway as is the case of A) As such, B's router is keeping A's computers out - as it is supposed to.

Reply to
Alan White

I have a piece of cat5 running from a LAN port on A to a LAN port on B. The DHCP server of B is off. I thought that in this configuration, B would act only as a switch?

In any case, why is B only keeping A's computers out if A is using WEP? When A is using an open conection, A computers can access B computers.

Reply to
Al Puzzuoli

I just did another test that in at least my mind would definitely indicate that WEP is the issue: I connected a PC to A via CAT5. The PC that is hard wired to A can access the wireless devices on B; However, the PCs that are wirelessly associated to A can not.

Reply to
Al Puzzuoli

The wireless portions of the routers are configured on separate SSIDs

Okay, no problem!

You set your wireless device to communicate to Wireless Router A using WEP. Unless I'm mistaken, you will have to reconfigure that device to not use WEP in order to communicate with Wireless Router B which is OPEN (unsecured).

Read previous comment.

You should be able to access both A & B wireless routers from a wired computer. If you set your pc or notebook card to "ANY", it'll access an "unsecured" device with the strongest signal within range. When you enter encryption keys, it will only access the device with the same encryption. If I'm mistaken, there are people who frequents this newsgroup that will give the necessary information. Take care.

Reply to
Doug Jamal

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