Problem with ssh

[Steve Comfort <steve@4Dllc.com>]

Hi all,

First off, a feeble attempt at diagramming my setup :

192.168.200.x   eth -> eth  Embedded Linux Wireless  ppp -> ppp Embedded 
Linux Access Point eth0 -> 192.168.1.x

The two Embedded Linux Wireless boxes are actually what I am working on. 
The second one in the list above is configured as a bridge, and doesn't 
currently have any firewalling (because I haven't figured out whether I 
need ebtables or iptables, but that's another story).

The client side wireless box (on the left) has the following rule in it :

$IPTABLES -A bad_tcp_packets -i $INET_IFACE -s 192.168.200.0/16 -j DROP

Here INET_IFACE = ppp0.

If I have this rule in place, I am unable to ssh from a box on the 
192.168.200.x network to one on the 192.168.1.x network.

As I read the above, packets entering the ppp interface on the wireless 
client, with a source address on the .200 sub-net should be dropped. 
Which seems perfectly reasonable. But what I don't understand is why the 
returning ssh packets (which should be sourced on the .1 subnet) are 
being dropped?

Best regards
Steve Comfort