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

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.

"Al Puzzuoli" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
> 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
>

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.



In article <AaJrd.20774$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> 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.
>
> "Al Puzzuoli" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
> > 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
> >
>
>
>

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.



In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> 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.
>
>
>
> In article <AaJrd.20774$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
> > 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.
> >
> > "Al Puzzuoli" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
> > > 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
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>

Al Puzzuoli wrote:
> 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.
> B is acting as an ACCESS POINT!


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 .

Okay, no problem!
>
> 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.

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).
> Why is this the case?

Read previous comment.

> 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?

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.
>
> Thanks,
>
> --Al
>