Use of Wireless Bridges in Ad Hoc Mode

I have a pair of WET54G's (ethernet bridges) that I used to connect two
wired networks, one of which has a router feeding into a DSL internet link.
The second network is trivial - a single PC and a switch. The first bridge
is hung off one of the router's ports, the second is hung off the switch on
the second network.

Both are in Ad Hoc mode - I want them to "bridge" between the two wired
networks, primarily to share internet access. Same System ID, WEP
settings - nothing odd.

I works......BUT sometimes the bridges stop talking. There is a "scan"
feature on the units that scans for other wireless devices, and when I do
this the bridge usually (not always, it seems to me) "finds" the second
bridge. The bridge firmware allows me to "connect" to that bridge, which
means setting the SSID to the same SSID as the bridge that it "found".
However, the SSID's are ALREADY identical. Even so, going through this
rigamarole seems to re-establish the link, and I'm back in business.

Linksys says that my problem is that I need to replace one of the bridges
with an Access Point, but they really can't tell me why, nor can they say
what is happening when the bridges stop talking. I find this frustrating.
Can anyone explain this?

DLink has an 802.11g unit that is similar, but can be configured to act as
either a bridge or a an Access Point. Dlink's people seem to thing that two
of their units WOULD work both set up as Bridges, but their own
documentation suggests that one of they should be a Bridge. So I'm not
getting much smarter talkings to the techs at either Dlink or Linksys. Any
help would be most welcome, especially information as to the reason my
bridge seems to "fall" at times.
/C. Crowell

Curtis, I don't think I can give you any firm answer but glad see
another one works. This is something I have spent many hours of
reading of. It's interesting that Linksys suggest using a AP instead a
pair of Bridge, maybe a HDCP from a router is more reliable than hung
off a AP from wired LAN ? Maybe you can give a wireless router a try
as per Linksys.

I am still waiting for bridges to drop their price because the WET11
is about $250 and wireless router on sale for around $30, what a hell
lot of difference.
Nice4

> Linksys says that my problem is that I need to replace one of the bridges
> with an Access Point, but they really can't tell me why, nor can they say
> what is happening when the bridges stop talking. I find this frustrating.
> Can anyone explain this?

I don't think HDCP has anything to do with this issue, but rather an issue
of communication protocol differences between the bridge and an access
point. In all I've read, manufacturers seem to be saying that a bridge
normally communicates with an AP, an although it is possible to connect to
another bridge, that is not a fully supported mode. I'm trying to
understand why that is.


"Nice4" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Curtis, I don't think I can give you any firm answer but glad see
> another one works. This is something I have spent many hours of
> reading of. It's interesting that Linksys suggest using a AP instead a
> pair of Bridge, maybe a HDCP from a router is more reliable than hung
> off a AP from wired LAN ? Maybe you can give a wireless router a try
> as per Linksys.
>
> I am still waiting for bridges to drop their price because the WET11
> is about $250 and wireless router on sale for around $30, what a hell
> lot of difference.
> Nice4
>
> > Linksys says that my problem is that I need to replace one of the
bridges
> > with an Access Point, but they really can't tell me why, nor can they
say
> > what is happening when the bridges stop talking. I find this
frustrating.
> > Can anyone explain this?