Add wireless router for visitor access to internet & network printers

[Bishop08]

I have a Comcast SMC8014 cable modem connected to a Linksys BEFSR81 Router and a Netgear Prosafe 24-port 10/100 switch connected to one of the LAN ports on the router. There are many PCs connected to this network, including one used as a file server. I would like to add a LINKSYS WRT54GL wireless router to this mix to allow visitors wireless access to the internet and network printers but NOT allow access to the file server. Is this possible at the hardware level or through port/MAC restrictions on either of the router's software?

 

[Emerald]

I have done one of these setups before and the way I did it is:

1) assign 192.168.5.1 as a LAN IP to the WRT54GL
2) assign a Static IP to the WAN of the WRT54GL
3) connect the printer to the WRT54GL and assign it a Static IP like192.
168.5.10
4) port forward port 9100 (for HP printer) to the printer IP 192.168.5.10
5) on the main network on the computers that need to print to the printer attached to the WRT54GL change the printer port to the WAN IP of the WRT54GL

 

[Bishop08]

I have done one of these setups before and the way I did it is:

1) assign 192.168.5.1 as a LAN IP to the WRT54GL
2) assign a Static IP to the WAN of the WRT54GL
3) connect the printer to the WRT54GL and assign it a Static IP like192.
168.5.10
4) port forward port 9100 (for HP printer) to the printer IP 192.168.5.10
5) on the main network on the computers that need to print to the printer attached to the WRT54GL change the printer port to the WAN IP of the WRT54GL

What is the WRT54GL connected to? The BEFSR81, the switch or the Cable modem?

 

[Emerald]

either the router or the switch should work

 

[tha_vice]

With what you're wanting to do here I would connect the WRT54GL to the switch, let the other router handle the Wired lan side, and the setup you're talking about on the other router.

 

[Bishop08]

I have done one of these setups before and the way I did it is:

1) assign 192.168.5.1 as a LAN IP to the WRT54GL
2) assign a Static IP to the WAN of the WRT54GL
3) connect the printer to the WRT54GL and assign it a Static IP like192.
168.5.10
4) port forward port 9100 (for HP printer) to the printer IP 192.168.5.10
5) on the main network on the computers that need to print to the printer attached to the WRT54GL change the printer port to the WAN IP of the WRT54GL

========

Additional information for my problem:

I have two AIO machines, 1) an HP Officejet 6500 E709a Series with a static IP used as a printer and scanner and 2) a Canon iR-ADV C5030 also with a static IP used as a printer, FAX and scanner. The RAW port for both is 9100. There are 12 PCs throughout the complex that need to use one or both of these, plus any visitors. I haven't done any port forwarding before and I'd really prefer NOT to have to change printer setups on all the PCs. In your scenario, does the second router (wireless) have DHCP on?

I have tried connecting the printers to the wireless router (DHCP off) without port forwarding (due to the perceived RAW port conflict) and the visitors can use both. The visitor(s) cannot see the fileserver, so that part of the requirement works great! However, none of the wired PCs can use the printers!

Does anyone have a clean (not needing to update all PCs) solution to this problem?

 

[Emerald]

do both printers have a USB port or a parallel port?

you could get a print servers and assign each a static IP of the guest network this way they work like network printers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=Property&Subcategory=387&Description=usb+printer+server&Type=&N=100008195&IsNodeId=1&IsPowerSearch=1&srchInDesc=&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=80

 

[JimLS]

I have done one of these setups before and the way I did it is:

1) assign 192.168.5.1 as a LAN IP to the WRT54GL
2) assign a Static IP to the WAN of the WRT54GL
3) connect the printer to the WRT54GL and assign it a Static IP like192.
168.5.10
4) port forward port 9100 (for HP printer) to the printer IP 192.168.5.10
5) on the main network on the computers that need to print to the printer attached to the WRT54GL change the printer port to the WAN IP of the WRT54GL

I am wanting to do something very similar but it seems that this will not prevent access to the server PCs and hardware on the network that should be private (if connected as suggested later). I could be wrong but I think the public router needs to be connected to the modem (or other access to internet) and the private router connected to that.

I base this partly on the fact that I can access my modem web page from behind the router with no port forwarding or other actions.

If done the way I am suggesting and the printer is on the public router I don't think any port forwarding is needed. I am not sure if having the IP addresses in different ranges on the private PCs and the printer will cause issues but I don't think so. If I could leave the printer and PC addresses that same that would be ideal but the printer IP would not be in the range of addresses for the router it was connected to - not sure if that is an issue.