mixed network with ethernet-connected printer

[logonaut]

I recently replaced my wired network with a wireless network in order to avoid stringing phone line from the phone jack in my kitchen to my home office, which doesn't have a phone jack but is the best location for my two desktop PCs. I essentially abandoned the Netgear RP614 Cable/DSL Web Safe Router Gateway I had used for the wired network that linked the two desktops (running Windows XP Professional) and my HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One. To be clear, both computers and the printer all had direct ethernet connections to the Netgear router.

In addition to abandoning the Netgear router, I also abandoned using the internal NICs. Instead, I have the DSL modem connected to a Linksys WRT54GS (Internet-sharing router, 4-port switch and wireless-G access point) in the bedroom, where I can unobstrusively connect the modem to the phone jack. And I've equipped each of the PCs (still located in the home office) with a Linksys WUSB54GS external network adapter.

So, the wireless network is up and running just fine. The problem is that I want to reconnect the Officejet to my network using its ethernet connectivity, so as to avoid a situation in which the PC connected via USB to the printer would have to be powered on in order for the other PC on the network to use the printer.

I've been trying to use the Netgear router and internal NICs to re-create the wired network I initially had (two PCs plus the printer), with the only difference being that the new wired network doesn't connect to the Internet. I'm then trying to use the "bridge connections" feature of Windows to, in effect, make my wireless network and this new wired network function as a single network -- and allow both computers to use the Officejet even when one of the computers is powered off.

It's not working as I'd hoped, though. As soon as I enable the Local Area Connection, I lose the Internet access through the Wireless Network Connection. I've tried tinkering with firewall settings and router settings to no avail. Any suggestions are much appreciated, as the Officejet is little more than a big paperweight now.

[BudTom]

To use the printer wirelessly (not being connected to one of the pc's) you're going to need a wireless print server. No way around that I'm afraid. Don't understand the last para; Can the router server both wired and wireless? What is the "..soon as I enable LAN.." part? You're router should serve IP's both thru wireless and lan ports. If not, you got some settings wrong. I don't own that model but out of the box it should work ok. Just add the wireless print server and you're good to go.

[cszeto]

logonaut, have you tried setting up the Netgear network with an IP plan that is different from Linksys wireless network? It sounds like what you have been facing is two networks possibly on the same IP plan.

[logonaut]

Thanks for the input, folks. I'm not sure I understand, though, why would need a wireless print server. Is there really no way to set up a wired network that connects the PCs and printer to each other, and then get that wired network to play nicely with the wireless network through which I connect to the Internet?

Please forgive me, cszeto, but my knowledge of networking is rather limited. I'm not sure what you mean by "setting up the Netgear network with an IP plan that is different from Linksys wireless network." Could you briefly explain what you mean by "IP plan" (i.e., what types of settings make up an IP plan) so I don't start tinkering with the wrong types of settings? Much thanks.

[cszeto]

If the IP plan on the Linksys and Netgear are the same, then which one does the system(s) use? That is a classic example of an IP plan conflict.

The other option is not necessarily a wireless print server, since it sounds like your OfficeJet already has one built-in, but wireless to ethernet bridge. That will allow your OfficeJet to also join the wireless network.

To get even more "exotic", you can also consider "bridging" the DSL modem's ethernet back to your home office with something along the lines of HPNA (phone line networking), Powerline/HPA (power plug networking) or even wireless bridging.

[Nodrak]

Hi logonaut,

I had exactly the same problem. I am using the Linksys WRT54GS and have a wired connected Officejet 7310 All-in-one printer. I also could not print to the printer from a wireless notebook. I found following solution:
1. Officejet: fixed IP adress (ex. 10.0.0.200)
2. Connect notebook via wire to wrt54gs
3. install the officejet printer (still wired connected to wrt54gs)
4. change port settings of printer to IP adress instead printername (ie print to IP adres port 10.0.0.200)

Now you should be able to print to the printer wired and wireless.
At my place this works.

Good luck.

[cszeto]

Nodrak, it seems that logonaut actually has two seperate networks with two different SOHO routers (a Netgear and a Linksys), which might be causing the loss of Internet access as described if they are both on the same IP plan for the computers attempting to connect to both networks at the same time. It may be creating routing conflicts on the dual-homed/multi-homed computers, based on the description. Even if the SOHO routers are on different IP plans, there still may be routing confusion to the Internet in the described configuration.