Hi! First question: Can I even do this?

[pucazzi]

Lenovo laptop>wireless>Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS>wireless>ASUS RT-N12>LAN>Printer

Laptop is Lenova Yoga 710 15IKB Model 80V5
Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS is a ADSL modem/router/access point supplied by Frontier (yeah, those guys)
ASUS RT-N12 is a wireless N access point/router
Printer is a KX-MB781 GDI LAN only Laser printer

I do have a Linksys WRT330N router/access point and another Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS router/access point that could be applied somehow if it makes a difference.

The laptop is at one end of the house with the Netgear ADSL modem near it because of signal loss issues. The printer is at the other end of the house in 'the office' just sitting there because I can't get to it from the laptop. I don't know how.

I can't run a LAN cable all the way over there. I just can't. I can't bring the printer out here where the laptop and ADSL modem is. No way.

Can I make it so I can print documents from the laptop through the ADSL modem/access point to the access point at the other end of the house that is connected to the printer with a LAN cable? Can it be set up so if I ever have to reboot the modem (Happens a lot) everything just links itself back up and I can print stuff if I want to without jumping through hoops?

Then again maybe I'm looking at the whole scheme the wrong way and you folks know better. I'm here because I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. I apologize for that up front.

I need your help. Tell me what you need so I can help you help me. I will do what ever I can to make this as easy for you as I can.

Thanks,
bing01

 

[vincentneo]

Does it mean that the Asus RT-N12 is acting like a wireless extender?

An easy way is to download Angry IP scanner from https://angryip.org/ and see if a complete IP scan from your laptop shows the Asus RT-N12 or printer. If it does, your plan should work.

Hope to hear back soon, and hope this helps.

 

[pucazzi]

Hey, thanks for the reply.

I can't seem to download any of the install exe's from angryip's website. I guess I'll try later.

I'll try to answer your question. "...the Asus RT-N12 is acting like a wireless extender?" I don't think so. At least that isn't my intention. Maybe I don't know what you mean.

I guess I'm trying to make the ASUS the printers wireless access point. It's NOT a wireless printer, it can only be connected via a LAN cable so I'm trying to add one. Maybe that's a problem, but I don't know.

I mentioned in my first post that maybe I was looking at this the wrong way and maybe that's true. I have a phone jack at the end of the house by the printer. The Netgear ADSL modem/router/access point MUST be connected to the phone lines if I want internet, but if it's at the other end of the house I have signal strength issues.

Looking at it that way another scheme might go like this: Lenovo laptop>wireless>ASUS RT-N12>wireless>Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS>LAN>Printer

I suppose that would make the ASUS a repeater but I'm concerned about latency and lag, my internet is slow enough already.

 

[vincentneo]

For the angry ip press the free download and pick your version of choice.

As long as the printer is connected to the LAN of a wireless access point, all devices on the network should be able to connect to it.

I have another question: is your ADSL modem a wireless access point as well, and is the Asus RT-N12 connect to it via wifi?

If you go on with your new scheme, it would seem like the laptop is providing the ADSL modem function which doesn't make sense.

Lenovo laptop<wireless<Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS>wireless>ASUS RT-N12>LAN>Printer
I assume this is the right scheme.

I asked for the angry ip thing because I want to make sure that all of them are in the same IP range.
For example, if your IP range is 192.168.0.x, your ADSL is 192.168.0.1, your laptop is 192.168.0.2, your Asus is 192.168.0.3 and printer is 192.168.0.4, then everything should work as you wished. If the asus is 192.168.1.1 and printer is 192.168.1.2, internet is still accessible from within the asus, but not with the laptop.

Hope you get what I mean its hard to illustrate.

 

[pucazzi]

Sorry I didn't get back sooner. Holidays y'know.

The scheme ideally would be the following: Lenovo laptop connected wirelessly to the access point part of Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS ADSL modem/access point/router, which is also connected to the phone lines, then this modem/access point wirelessly connects to the ASUS RT-N12 access point/router's access point, the ASUS also has the Printer plugged into the router part of it via a LAN cable. At any time I could power off the laptop and when I powered it back on, no matter where the laptop is in the house, it would automatically connect to the internet AND the printer, immediately allowing me to pick a document if I chose to and make a copy WITHOUT jumping through any other hoops. Not even one extra keystroke. Just pick something, hit print and go get the copy off the printer.

I can't explain it any clearer than that I'm afraid.

At some point in the past I tried to use the ASUS as a repeater. This alludes to the alternate scheme I mentioned: Lenovo laptop>wireless>ASUS RT-N12(repeater)>wireless>Netgear D2200D 1FRNAS>LAN>Printer. I never got that working either.

The ASUS still had that non-working config in it. What I had this morning was 2 networks, both named and pw'd the same. I could connect to one or the other, not both. Earlier today I was able to connect to the ASUS (no internet of course) and print, or I could connect to the Netgear and have internet but no printer. Unacceptable.

I tried to take the ASUS out of repeater mode and put it in access point mode and basically lost it somehow. Couldn't ping it or see it at all from the laptop. I never could download angry IP scanner, but using Acrylic Wi-Fi Home Which does not give IP addresses) I could see it out there but couldn't get to it via my laptop. I ended up resetting the ASUS. It's wiped basically. Its do over time.

I tried calling ASUS tech support. The guy tried to help sort of but I don't think we were ever on the same page.

Yeah, I'm aware of the IP range and assignment conflict issue. So I don't know where to go from here. Pulling wire is looking easier than this. I still want it to work and I believe it can but I don't know how.

is your ADSL modem a wireless access point as well, and is the Asus RT-N12 connect to it via wifi?

The Netgear D2200D ADSL modem is also a router and a wireless access point. As far as I can determine the ASUS RT-N12 is an access point/router that can function as a repeater and has at no time ever been successfully wirelessly connected to my Netgear modem/router/access point.

 

[pucazzi]

Well now, this new knowledge changes a few things...

On a good day I get 4Mbps download speeds. I can hardly stand even that! There is no way I can live with half that speed and apparently, as I just found out, if I put the ASUS access point/router/repeater in between the laptop and the ADSL modem I will halve my download speeds. Unacceptable.

So it appears that the alternate solution as mentioned above is entirely out of the question. This leaves only making the ASUS an access point for the printer with a wireless connection to the ADSL modem, OR pulling wire and eliminating the ASUS device entirely, OR winning the lottery and getting the hell out of this forsaken hinterland.

Unless some guru here has another solution I can't see any other options.

 

[vincentneo]

Apologies for replying late. Was busy with my stuff the whole day.

What I had this morning was 2 networks, both named and pw'd the same. I could connect to one or the other, not both.

First of all, even if they were named with the same name, they are still technically two separate entities that don't communicate to each. That explains why they still acted as if they don't see each other. (because they don't)

Secondly, putting it in access point mode will cause it to 'disappear' as that only works if something's connected to the WAN port, and it working like a typical router. Wireless won't do.

Thirdly, I am thinking that wifi signals are extremely bad at the location of your Asus RT-N12, when connecting to the ADSL modem, am I right? I am saying that, as that halved speed thing sounds just like that.

For now, I kinda don't know how to help you anymore... Things seem more complicated than I first thought. 🙁

Hope to hear back soon.