ahhhhhhhh ok now I follow you, and as said already I'm sure, the answer is no, WAM will only grant/deny access to pages and folders, it doesn't have the ability to interact with the site itself only the access to it.

OK, so, WAM can't do it. Any suggestions on how I can achieve this??

Someone else may have some ideas, but the only thing I know that can actually do anything close to this would be a CMS type site system with integrated forums. This would allow you to create a landing page (no need for WAM with this) that is seen by the basic visitor which when logged in will then show them the rest of the site. Drupal has this capability (although it's not pretty to work with), I'm sure others do also. Joomla almost does, but they haven't come out with the next version that is supposed to encompass the much needed access privilege system. Most of the CMS style sites have the ability to integrate forums into them directly so that when you log into the site you are logged into both places.

That's the only suggestion I can give, hopefully someone else might have some other ideas.

Mike, you will need something more integrated than WAM. If I understand you correctly WAM should be able to accomplish the first of your needs but not the second. As Jo Ann said it has no integration into programs with already firewall like stoppage. I do not think WAM will ever have this capability. If you know PHP, you might be able to develop a login script that interacts with WAM, but I nothing of that world.

Why not provide a direct link to the members-only forum from the web site? With proper permissions set, non-members must login to access the members-only forum.

Are you suggesting this take place through the program, or just setting permissions with the server in general?

Within SMF itself. Permission settings within SMF determine who can see and participate in a forum (for example, SMF team members have their own forum not visible to non-team members).

Mr. MacDonald hasn't provided a link to the site or forum so it's difficult to determine how things are currently set up. Does the forum allow anonymous visitors to post or is registration required? If registration is required, then different levels of membership may be established; perhaps one for regular forum members and another with special privileges to access forums hidden to regular members.

That would still leave the website unprotected from people he doesn't want to see it and accessible outside of the forums then as he wouldn't be able to use WAM to access it for he'd have the same problem he has now in reverse. People would have to log into the forums and then into the site instead of logging into the site and then to the forums. He would still need the site to be integrated with the forums in some way or as Eric mentioned he'd need a login that is scripted specially for this access.

Wow, thanks everyone. I have to read through the posts and decipher so that I understand.

Registration is an absolute requirement to the forum. Therefore, forum login/password usage is required. Once into the forum, visitors can go wherever they want, no need to hide groups from some members and not from others.

Login into the members only section of the website is an absolute requirement as well. So, I'm faced with both.

Funny though, in working through this, will all of your ideas, this may not become the issue I have been presented with. The forum software has the ability to "remember" login details, so with proper notification, members will only need to actually login in once, first time only.

I may be able to "sell" this idea to the group.

If anyone comes up with another better all encompassing solution, PLEASE PLEASE let me know.

please post the URL for the site.
There might be some good suggestions if we could see what you have in place now.. I know what will do what you need, but you might not want to rework your site.