WiFi LAN access, but not WAN access.

[Mike -- EMAIL IGNORED]

On FC8 with my dual boot laptop, in the process of testing
wpa_supplicant with my Actiontec router, I had a situation
in which I could ping within my LAN, but but not the WAN.
Other boxes on my LAN, had no problem contacting the WAN.
So I shut of the encryption, and made unencrypted WiFi
contact.  Still, I could contact the LAN but not the WAN.
Then I made a wired Ethernet connection from the test
laptop.  In that case, everything worked for WAN and LAN.
Then I went back to wireless.  It all worked, with and
without encryption.

So I am living happily ever after, but I fear I may be in
a fool's paradise.  Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike.