Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

Xyne · 2012-07-15 20:37:09

Hi

I suspect that this is an issue with my router but I want to ask just in case anyone has any ideas.

My router is set up as a wifi access point (WPA2). I have an ethernet switch connected to the router and all wired hosts on my LAN are connected to the switch.

I have no issues connecting to wired hosts from wireless hosts. ping, ssh, pacserve, rsync, unison, etc... everything works.
When I try to reach a wireless host from a wired host, the connection fails (ping, ssh, etc).

If I ping a wired host from a wireless host first, I can then ping the wireless host from the wired host (as well as ssh, etc).
This is only transient, however, and the wireless soon becomes unreachable again unless the wireless host continually pings the wired host.

arp -n on a wired host shows "(incomplete)" for the wireless host prior to receiving a ping from the wireless host.

I have disabled firewalls on all hosts to test this so it is not a firewall issue.
If I connect a wireless host to the switch via a cable, everything works.

All hosts (wired & wireless) are on the same subnet (192.168.1.0/24).

The router is the one provided by my ISP and has a very limited configuration interface.

So, is this just a router issue, or am I missing something in my setup?

Thanks.

nomorewindows · 2012-07-15 22:16:28

Your switch is probably the problem.

Xyne · 2012-07-16 02:01:36

Care to explain?

Given that all wired hosts can see each other through the switch, I think the switch is fine.

Strike0 · 2012-07-17 20:52:36

A lot of routers actually have options to separate wireless hosts from others. Kind of a security pre-caution for shared wifi's & your ISP might think this is good for its customers?

So, I'd say that is probably it - just as you suspect & show in your tests.

R00KIE · 2012-07-17 21:31:08

Strike0 wrote:

A lot of routers actually have options to separate wireless hosts from others. Kind of a security pre-caution for shared wifi ...

+1 on this, check all the options, also see if you can login via telnet and check if your router is running linux, if so, try to check which iptables rules are used as it might provide a clue to the problem.

nomorewindows · 2012-07-17 21:38:24

When I tried to use a switch with my wireless router, it separated the wireless router from the switch so that everything on the switch was fine, but anything trying to go to the router would be confused.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-07-15 20:37:09

Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

#2 2012-07-15 22:16:28

Re: Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

#3 2012-07-16 02:01:36

Re: Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

#4 2012-07-17 20:52:36

Re: Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

#5 2012-07-17 21:31:08

Re: Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

#6 2012-07-17 21:38:24

Re: Wireless hosts on LAN unreachable from wired hosts but not vice versa

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