WiFi Networking Question

[Bill Anderson]

I'm doing volunteer work at a local non-profit where I've donated a
desktop I created mostly out of odds and ends I had lying around.
Actually it's a pretty nice system built around an Asus P5Q Pro Turbo
mbo running 64-bit Win10. I have it plugged into the non-profit's
network with an ethernet cable and it sees shared network drives and the
main printer nicely.

I assembled the system when I learned the non-profit had a series of
documentary films they'd produced years ago, but no cheap way to make
copies for sale in their gift shop. All I had to purchase was a cheap
case for the computer and a nice, but also cheap, Asus optical drive/DVD
burner. I've made about 100 DVDs for them now, and they think I'm a
miracle worker. Well, it's nice to be appreciated.

But there is one miracle I haven't been able to work and the problem has
become annoying. In order to print pretty labels directly on disks, I
helped the group purchase an Epson Expression Premium XP-620 Wireless
Color Photo Printer. It features a tray that accepts white printable
disks and it does a nice job with them. Using a USB cable I have it
plugged into the computer I donated, but I'd like to connect the printer
to the office network so everybody can use it from their desktops.
Trouble is, this cheap Epson doesn't have an Ethernet port. It's USB or
WiFi or nothing.

So I had the bright idea of giving the office an old Linksys WRT54G
router I'm not using and connecting the printer to the network with
that. Just connect the printer to the Linksys with WiFi, plug an
ethernet cable between the Linksys and the office router, and my
computer should see the printer on the office network. Simple, right?
Well, no.

I've set up the Linksys -- gave it a unique ID and password -- and
connected it with an Ethernet cable to the office router. This works,
I'm happy to say. I can see the Linksys with my iPhone, connect to it
over WiFi using the ID and password I created, and voila -- I'm on the
internet using my iPhone on the office network. So far, so good -- the
Linksys router is definitely working.

Now I get into the Epson printer's WiFi setup routine using its front
panel and I connect it wirelessly to the Linksys. The printer reports
success and prints out two info sheets that even include the printer's
ip address. Actually, the first sheet reports one ip address and the
second sheet reports a different one. I don't get it -- something is
going on here I don't understand. But OK, we'll figure this out.

Now I've tried everything I can find in printer setup / network setup in
Win10, but I can't see that printer. I can see (and print to) the other
office printer, which is plugged into the same router as the Linksys. I
have the Linksys plugged into the router right beside the other
printer's ethernet cable. But my computer still sees only the original
office printer, not the new Epson.

So what am I missing here? Why can't I connect the printer to the
Linksys over WiFi and then connect the Linksys to the office router
(Cisco) with an ethernet cable, and then see the printer via the office
network? I've Googled and Googled and I've checked all the Win10
sharing options I can find and I even managed at one point to confuse my
Win10 desktop so thoroughly that it wouldn't even talk to the printer
through USB until I'd uninstalled and reinstalled. The solution to the
problem is probably something simple and obvious to experienced
networkers, but as any knowledge I have about all this has come through
a few years of trial and error at home, I'm lost at this point.

Ideas, anyone?

[Paul]

Post by Bill Anderson
I'm doing volunteer work at a local non-profit where I've donated a
desktop I created mostly out of odds and ends I had lying around.
Actually it's a pretty nice system built around an Asus P5Q Pro Turbo
mbo running 64-bit Win10. I have it plugged into the non-profit's
network with an ethernet cable and it sees shared network drives and the
main printer nicely.
I assembled the system when I learned the non-profit had a series of
documentary films they'd produced years ago, but no cheap way to make
copies for sale in their gift shop. All I had to purchase was a cheap
case for the computer and a nice, but also cheap, Asus optical drive/DVD
burner. I've made about 100 DVDs for them now, and they think I'm a
miracle worker. Well, it's nice to be appreciated.
But there is one miracle I haven't been able to work and the problem has
become annoying. In order to print pretty labels directly on disks, I
helped the group purchase an Epson Expression Premium XP-620 Wireless
Color Photo Printer. It features a tray that accepts white printable
disks and it does a nice job with them. Using a USB cable I have it
plugged into the computer I donated, but I'd like to connect the printer
to the office network so everybody can use it from their desktops.
Trouble is, this cheap Epson doesn't have an Ethernet port. It's USB or
WiFi or nothing.
So I had the bright idea of giving the office an old Linksys WRT54G
router I'm not using and connecting the printer to the network with
that. Just connect the printer to the Linksys with WiFi, plug an
ethernet cable between the Linksys and the office router, and my
computer should see the printer on the office network. Simple, right?
Well, no.
I've set up the Linksys -- gave it a unique ID and password -- and
connected it with an Ethernet cable to the office router. This works,
I'm happy to say. I can see the Linksys with my iPhone, connect to it
over WiFi using the ID and password I created, and voila -- I'm on the
internet using my iPhone on the office network. So far, so good -- the
Linksys router is definitely working.
Now I get into the Epson printer's WiFi setup routine using its front
panel and I connect it wirelessly to the Linksys. The printer reports
success and prints out two info sheets that even include the printer's
ip address. Actually, the first sheet reports one ip address and the
second sheet reports a different one. I don't get it -- something is
going on here I don't understand. But OK, we'll figure this out.
Now I've tried everything I can find in printer setup / network setup in
Win10, but I can't see that printer. I can see (and print to) the other
office printer, which is plugged into the same router as the Linksys. I
have the Linksys plugged into the router right beside the other
printer's ethernet cable. But my computer still sees only the original
office printer, not the new Epson.
So what am I missing here? Why can't I connect the printer to the
Linksys over WiFi and then connect the Linksys to the office router
(Cisco) with an ethernet cable, and then see the printer via the office
network? I've Googled and Googled and I've checked all the Win10
sharing options I can find and I even managed at one point to confuse my
Win10 desktop so thoroughly that it wouldn't even talk to the printer
through USB until I'd uninstalled and reinstalled. The solution to the
problem is probably something simple and obvious to experienced
networkers, but as any knowledge I have about all this has come through
a few years of trial and error at home, I'm lost at this point.
Ideas, anyone?

Something like this perhaps ? Maybe you don't actually want
a routing function on the subtending router, and just need
to build yourself an "Access Point" ?

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Linksys-WRT54G-to-Be-an-Access-Point

Search terms:

WRT54G as access point

I think the idea is, everything ends up on the same subnet.

Just a guess,
Paul

[Bill Anderson]

Post by Paul
Something like this perhaps ? Maybe you don't actually want
a routing function on the subtending router, and just need
to build yourself an "Access Point" ?
http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Linksys-WRT54G-to-Be-an-Access-Point
WRT54G as access point
I think the idea is, everything ends up on the same subnet.

Thanks, I will give this a try. I'd assumed that since my Linksys is
already serving as an internet access point for my iPhone, it would also
serve as an access point for the printer and further would share access
to it across the local network. At least I'm learning.

[Bill Anderson]

Post by Bill Anderson

Post by Paul
Something like this perhaps ? Maybe you don't actually want
a routing function on the subtending router, and just need
to build yourself an "Access Point" ?
http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Linksys-WRT54G-to-Be-an-Access-Point
WRT54G as access point
I think the idea is, everything ends up on the same subnet.

Thanks, I will give this a try. I'd assumed that since my Linksys is
already serving as an internet access point for my iPhone, it would also
serve as an access point for the printer and further would share access
to it across the local network. At least I'm learning.

It worked! Thanks Paul, and everybody. It took about three hours of
fiddling, but I finally puzzled out the logic of making the Linksys an
"access point," and to my amazement the printer now appears on the local
network and everybody can print to it. Wonderful!

[Paul]

Post by Bill Anderson

Post by Bill Anderson

Post by Paul
Something like this perhaps ? Maybe you don't actually want
a routing function on the subtending router, and just need
to build yourself an "Access Point" ?
http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-Linksys-WRT54G-to-Be-an-Access-Point
WRT54G as access point
I think the idea is, everything ends up on the same subnet.

Thanks, I will give this a try. I'd assumed that since my Linksys is
already serving as an internet access point for my iPhone, it would also
serve as an access point for the printer and further would share access
to it across the local network. At least I'm learning.

It worked! Thanks Paul, and everybody. It took about three hours of
fiddling, but I finally puzzled out the logic of making the Linksys an
"access point," and to my amazement the printer now appears on the local
network and everybody can print to it. Wonderful!

For once, a router question with a happy ending :-)

Paul

[Charlie Hoffpauir]

On Fri, 6 Nov 2015 13:09:58 -0600, Bill Anderson

Post by Bill Anderson
I'm doing volunteer work at a local non-profit where I've donated a
desktop I created mostly out of odds and ends I had lying around.
Actually it's a pretty nice system built around an Asus P5Q Pro Turbo
mbo running 64-bit Win10. I have it plugged into the non-profit's
network with an ethernet cable and it sees shared network drives and the
main printer nicely.
I assembled the system when I learned the non-profit had a series of
documentary films they'd produced years ago, but no cheap way to make
copies for sale in their gift shop. All I had to purchase was a cheap
case for the computer and a nice, but also cheap, Asus optical drive/DVD
burner. I've made about 100 DVDs for them now, and they think I'm a
miracle worker. Well, it's nice to be appreciated.
But there is one miracle I haven't been able to work and the problem has
become annoying. In order to print pretty labels directly on disks, I
helped the group purchase an Epson Expression Premium XP-620 Wireless
Color Photo Printer. It features a tray that accepts white printable
disks and it does a nice job with them. Using a USB cable I have it
plugged into the computer I donated, but I'd like to connect the printer
to the office network so everybody can use it from their desktops.
Trouble is, this cheap Epson doesn't have an Ethernet port. It's USB or
WiFi or nothing.
So I had the bright idea of giving the office an old Linksys WRT54G
router I'm not using and connecting the printer to the network with
that. Just connect the printer to the Linksys with WiFi, plug an
ethernet cable between the Linksys and the office router, and my
computer should see the printer on the office network. Simple, right?
Well, no.
I've set up the Linksys -- gave it a unique ID and password -- and
connected it with an Ethernet cable to the office router. This works,
I'm happy to say. I can see the Linksys with my iPhone, connect to it
over WiFi using the ID and password I created, and voila -- I'm on the
internet using my iPhone on the office network. So far, so good -- the
Linksys router is definitely working.
Now I get into the Epson printer's WiFi setup routine using its front
panel and I connect it wirelessly to the Linksys. The printer reports
success and prints out two info sheets that even include the printer's
ip address. Actually, the first sheet reports one ip address and the
second sheet reports a different one. I don't get it -- something is
going on here I don't understand. But OK, we'll figure this out.
Now I've tried everything I can find in printer setup / network setup in
Win10, but I can't see that printer. I can see (and print to) the other
office printer, which is plugged into the same router as the Linksys. I
have the Linksys plugged into the router right beside the other
printer's ethernet cable. But my computer still sees only the original
office printer, not the new Epson.
So what am I missing here? Why can't I connect the printer to the
Linksys over WiFi and then connect the Linksys to the office router
(Cisco) with an ethernet cable, and then see the printer via the office
network? I've Googled and Googled and I've checked all the Win10
sharing options I can find and I even managed at one point to confuse my
Win10 desktop so thoroughly that it wouldn't even talk to the printer
through USB until I'd uninstalled and reinstalled. The solution to the
problem is probably something simple and obvious to experienced
networkers, but as any knowledge I have about all this has come through
a few years of trial and error at home, I'm lost at this point.
Ideas, anyone?

I'm sure Paul's suggestion will work, but why not just connect the
printer to "your" PC via USB and "share" it with everyone?

[Bill Anderson]

Post by Charlie Hoffpauir
I'm sure Paul's suggestion will work, but why not just connect the
printer to "your" PC via USB and "share" it with everyone?

Thanks. I'd considered that, but it would require leaving my computer
always on, and I don't really want to do that if I can avoid it. I'll
experiment. Maybe I can just explain to everybody that if they want to
print/scan with the Epson they'll need to turn on my computer. I assume
it'll share even if I'm not logged in.

But first I'll give Paul's suggestion a shot.