Network printer outside from his router not presented on network

I'm working in an office, which has a messy network built by many people before me. Just to clarify: I far not understand networks, this one either.

I have a room, where arrived a new network printer. The computers and smartphones, which is connected to this TP-Link router (with UTP or WIFI), they see the network printer. This room got the internet from an another room, by a switch.

However, the other parts of the office, they simply can't connect to this printer. So this room is a totally dead end on the network.

I think the wifi router blocking something. I tried DHCP on and off, but nothing change.

What is the problem?

Lanti

Posted 2014-11-19T14:05:45.000

Reputation: 139

If I understand you correctly, are you trying to use the router as a WiFi bridge? You could turn of the routing function of the router and just use it as a WiFi basestation. – Cameron Lowell Palmer – 2014-11-19T14:56:43.593

The router giving internet and local network for one compouter which is connected to it (later will be more two computer) and also serving UTP cable to the network printer. And also serving wifi. Outside of this router, the other offices can't see the printer, so I think this router blocking the incoming connection for the outside PCs. – Lanti – 2014-11-19T16:02:58.120

Answers

The TP-Link router isolates the wifi and any devices connected directly to it from the network on the WAN side of the router. It is like a one way mirror, the devices connected to the router can see the outside, but the outside cannot see in.

You might try some port forwarding in the router if you really know what you are doing, but I think this is a very technical solution that requires a bit of skill to setup. I do not know if anyone here will walk you through it.

Your best bet may be to find someone with networking skills and have them show you how.

Timbo

Posted 2014-11-19T14:05:45.000

Reputation: 390

Maybe this is what I need? http://superuser.com/questions/332588/remote-access-for-network-printer

– Lanti – 2014-11-19T16:09:54.480

The network printer is a Ricoh Aficio MPC3500. – Lanti – 2014-11-19T16:11:35.613

Yes, that is close. Understand that as a default, the Wifi Router is configured to protect the computers on the inside (your LAN) from the nasties on the outside (the WAN). What you are seeing is the desired behavior for the wifi router. Otherwise it could be a real problem for people who just install it and don't know they are exposed. – Timbo – 2014-11-19T22:06:12.537

I tried port forwarding and triggering also for the printer IP (http://192.168.0.200:9100/), but it didn't worked. Also, we have an accountant software which is runs one of the computer under this wifi router, which is needs to run always on tray, because this machine is the server for this program (we don't have a specific server on this office network, because you know, money...). :) So, we bought a Switch.

– Lanti – 2014-11-22T12:59:53.853

Some protocols use multiple ports. Port forwarding can be tricky, sometimes you have to set the forwarding AND open access to that port number too. You can also setup your router as a bridge, then the devices on the wifi become just additional devices on the WAN side of the network. It acts as more of a smart switch, converting wired signals to wifi. But this config offers zero protection from devices on the outside, but they can see you and can connect directly. Your devices will also need to get an IP from the upstream server, and that could reveal that you have additional devices. – Timbo – 2014-11-22T17:45:59.283

Resolved my inability to print to a WAN side printer from the LAN side of a TP-Link Archer C7. I had to turn off NAT.

LAN2--TPLink--Lan1--ATTRtrwithNAT--/--internet

I had an internet provider router from ATT/Motorola that supplied the WAN and NAT translation. I have a TP-Link Archer C7 connnected via the WAN interface to the LAN port of the ATT router(Lan subnet 192.168.1.0). The Archer C7 routed to a wireless LAN (192.168.2.0).

here is a more detailed setup

Client1(2.100)--wireless--(2.253_lan2)TPLink(1.253_wan)-----(1.254_port1_Lan1)ATTRouter(WAN)--internet.

I had configured the ATT router for a cascade router to point to the TP-link routers WAN interface 192.168.1.253 so the network 192.168.2.0 would be accessible from the internet and the local lan1 This will make the ATT Router send ICMP redirects to the clients on the 192.168.1.0 net that want to access the 192.168.2.0 net resources to use 192.168.1.253 router to get to the lan2(192.168.2.0)network. It also allows the ATT Router packets coming from the internet to the clients on lan2 to be forwarded to the cascade router that connects to lan 2.

I had an wireless Cannon MX300 printer 192.168.1.148 on the ATT Lan1 network. I had a wireless client connected to the ATT Lan1 that could print to the Cannon just fine. When I moved the client to the LAN2 side of the TP-Link in the subnet 192.168.2.0, the client could no longer print. The client could access the internet and ping the Cannon on the 192.168.1.0 subnet.

To make printing across the TP-link function, I turned off the NAT in the TP-Link as the ATT wan router was the last hop to the internet and performing the NAT. after disabling NAT a minute later the stuff in the printer Queue of the client on Lan2 started printing on the Cannon connect wireless on Lan1.

20yrQANetworkingEng

Posted 2014-11-19T14:05:45.000

Reputation: 1

Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question. OP is trying to do the opposite, print to a LAN side printer from the WAN side of the router. – DavidPostill – 2016-11-28T13:19:49.243