Loss of dual ad hoc plus wireless networks

[kenbaugh]

Hello,

I have an HP lap top running windows 7 and a lexmark wireless all in one printer. Lexmark very kindly helped me set up an ad hoc network and until recently it worked well. I could access internet on a local network and the prinetr at the same time. Suddenly I am in the position where connecting to the printer network knocks out the internet and vice versa i.e. they won't work together. What setting has got changed resulting in this and how do I set it back?

 

[COLGeek]

Are you using a fixed IP address and network configuration on your laptop and/or your printer -OR- is your wireless router/firewall assigning addresses with DHCP?

Regardless, I would suggest you establish a fixed address (manually configure with your printer's network configuration utility/process) for the printer. Be sure to select an address not in the DHCP assignment pool managed by your wireless router/firewall.

Good luck!

 

[kenbaugh]

Are you using a fixed IP address and network configuration on your laptop and/or your printer -OR- is your wireless router/firewall assigning addresses with DHCP?

Regardless, I would suggest you establish a fixed address (manually configure with your printer's network configuration utility/process) for the printer. Be sure to select an address not in the DHCP assignment pool managed by your wireless router/firewall.

Good luck!

I am very grateful for your interest and reply COLGeek but don't know where to begin to implement your advice! I can do simple adjustments to my computer setup but don't know whether I have a fixed IP address or what is DHCP. Where do I start?

Ken

 

[COLGeek]

Go to:
Control Panel, then Network and Sharing Center, then click on "Change adapter settings", then right click on your wireless adapter and select Properties. Now select Internet Protocol Version 4 and click the Properties button.

Once there, you will see where you can set the IP or allow one to be assigned. That is for your PC.

For your printer, I would assume it come with a configuration utility, that includes the network configuration for the printer. Is that correct?

 

[kenbaugh]

Thanks COLGeek.

Following your first instructions, the properties appear to be "obtain an IP address automatically" or that is the option with an active button against it

The configuration utility for the printer is presumably the procedure when I first installed it on USB? This was altered online by Lexmark who, at my request, took control of my computer and set up-so they told me-an ad hoc network.

Both networks appear on the list of wireless networks available to me but as I said before they used to be able to be used at the same time. Now if I select the "Lexmark network" it closes the "Chevertonhol" network(That is the name of the wireless network I use on this caravan site) and vice versa-choosing "Chevertonhol" closes "Lexmark.

Something must have changed the settings which previously allowed them to work together

Ken

 

[COLGeek]

That means you are running DHCP to get your address. BTW, there is no reason to put your printer on a separate network from your computer unless you are using a public netowrk and you don't want others to use it.

Is this your home network? If so, I suggest setting everything onto one network.

Also, what make and model of printer are you using? When I get a chance, I'll look up the config tool it uses to hopefully help you more.

 

[kenbaugh]

That means you are running DHCP to get your address. BTW, there is no reason to put your printer on a separate network from your computer unless you are using a public netowrk and you don't want others to use it.

Is this your home network? If so, I suggest setting everything onto one network.

Also, what make and model of printer are you using? When I get a chance, I'll look up the config tool it uses to hopefully help you more.

Hi

No the network is a public one. I don't want the others on our camp site being able to access my printer!

As before the printer is a Lexmark, model S600

Thanks for help so far

Ken

 

[COLGeek]

Are you an RVer? Me, too, when the Army and my wife allow it!

I understand your situation better now. Have you looked the the on-line Wireless Troubleshooting Guide for your printer? Linked below:

http://support.lexmark.com/index?locale=en&page=product&productCode=LEXMARK_INTERACT_S602&segment=SUPPORT&userlocale=EN_US&frompage=null#1

First, don't change your IP address on your computer. Doing so will likely result in you not being able to connect to the camp site's network.

Second, I hate to ask, but is it possible to just connect to your printer via a USB cable? Would save you a lot of trouble, but will limit your flexibility.

Do you have a sharing setup? Also, did your current config ever work at the camp site, or only at home?

 

[kenbaugh]

Are you an RVer? Me, too, when the Army and my wife allow it!

I understand your situation better now. Have you looked the the on-line Wireless Troubleshooting Guide for your printer? Linked below:

http://support.lexmark.com/index?locale=en&page=product&productCode=LEXMARK_INTERACT_S602&segment=SUPPORT&userlocale=EN_US&frompage=null#1

First, don't change your IP address on your computer. Doing so will likely result in you not being able to connect to the camp site's network.

Second, I hate to ask, but is it possible to just connect to your printer via a USB cable? Would save you a lot of trouble, but will limit your flexibility.

Do you have a sharing setup? Also, did your current config ever work at the camp site, or only at home?

Hi COLGeek

Yes-I had a look at the support site you quote but that even suggests that I couldn't connect both to an access point AND the printer at the same time??

"The installation performed in this example starts with a printer that was never configured and a Windows Vista laptop that is not currently on a network. If the printer has already been taken out of the box, prepared for a previous connection type, and the Wi-Fi indicator light is in another state, click here for an article describing the Wi-Fi indicator light patterns. It is not necessary to reset the printer network adapter for this procedure; however, your computer cannot have simultaneous connections to both access point and printer after creating an ad hoc connection to the printer."

(See last sentence??)
However I would swear that I DID have that option before. I could print direct from the internet and something happened and now I can't. I have to download first-then invoke the Lexmark network (which knocks out the internet connection)

Yes-I can use the USB connection-however I've been spoiled now and like having the printer in another room and control it from this room!

By the way the campsite IS our home and the joint setup started life here and did work here. Something I've downloaded-an update to Java or something has upset my original set up


(Yes we are RVers too but we also live on a camp site having sold our bricks and mortar Dec 2009. We are in UK. Last year we took our Autotrail Scout-(based on the Mercedes Sprinter base) for a drive across Europe via Croatia-Albania-Macedonia-Greece to our holiday apartment in Turkey. After doing 2/3000 miles in Turkey we ferried back to Italy and came home via Switzerland-Germany-France.)

 

[COLGeek]

Our RV is a 2006 Roadtrek Adventurous, also Sprinter based. We love it!

Under normal circumstances, you can't connect to 2 networks at the same time with a single network adapter. I have no doubt that you were successful in the past, but they would have been on the same network to work as indicated.

There are ways to do what you want with 2 wireless adapters, or with a wired and separate wireless network (you use Internet Connection Sharing on your PC to "bridge" the 2 networks.

I'll sleep on it and see if I can come up with a workable solution for you.

 

[COLGeek]

Good morning. Thought about this a bit. Because you can only connect to one network at a time with a single wireless network adapter you only have a couple options to retain your desired wireless configuration.

1. Keep doing what you are doing (cumbersome)
2. Get another wireless adapter (USB or PCCard/PCMCIA version, really dependent on what your HP will support) and use it to talk to your second network simultaneously.
3. Put the printer on the single network (camp site's), but set up sharing for the device to only allow you to use the printer (Control Panel/Devices and Printers/Right Click on Printer - Select Printer Properties/Sharing Tab/Change Sharing Options). Others may "see" the printer when your notebook/printer are on-line, but they won't be able to use unless you allow it. Cheapest and easiest to do for you. Fairly secure because your notebook acts as the print server and must be active to print anyway.

What do you think?

So, are you in a part of the UK experiencing the lovely winter weather? Take care.

 

[kenbaugh]

Good morning. Thought about this a bit. Because you can only connect to one network at a time with a single wireless network adapter you only have a couple options to retain your desired wireless configuration.

1. Keep doing what you are doing (cumbersome)
2. Get another wireless adapter (USB or PCCard/PCMCIA version, really dependent on what your HP will support) and use it to talk to your second network simultaneously.
3. Put the printer on the single network (camp site's), but set up sharing for the device to only allow you to use the printer (Control Panel/Devices and Printers/Right Click on Printer - Select Printer Properties/Sharing Tab/Change Sharing Options). Others may "see" the printer when your notebook/printer are on-line, but they won't be able to use unless you allow it. Cheapest and easiest to do for you. Fairly secure because your notebook acts as the print server and must be active to print anyway.

What do you think?

So, are you in a part of the UK experiencing the lovely winter weather? Take care.

Thanks again for your continuing interest in my "problem"

You said" Under normal circumstances, you can't connect to 2 networks at the same time with a single network adapter. I have no doubt that you were successful in the past, but they would have been on the same network to work as indicated."

If that was the case, what's happened. More to the point can we reproduce it (which would seem to undermine the statement that you can't connect to 2 networks at the same time)?

Your third suggestion seems to be the best but how do I add a printer at my location to the site's network operating at another location? Do I have to take the printer to the site's office and ask them to add it to the system? Even if I did, would it work again here at home? Would it automatically be available via my computer or would I have to dial it up somehow?

Woke up this morning to about a foot of snow. Was due to travel (we are on isle of Wight) by ferry and then 60/70 miles on mainland across Salisbury Plain but due to police warnings of road dangers, decided to stay at home! Where are you?

Ken

 

[COLGeek]

I am in the US and we will only have flurries today. I was monitoring the news earlier this morning on which the weather in Europe was being discussed, especially the travel delays at the major airports.

Here in the States, most campgrounds run unsecured networks. If that is the case for you as well, you would set your printer up like your PC to connect to the network automatically (you should be able to do this yourself with the Lexmark configuration utility for the printer), based on the SSID you need to connect to.

If the network is secured (WEP, WPA, etc.) you would do the same as for your HP, just using the Lexmark tool to enter the network's credentials (SSID, type of encryption, passphrase). Since your HP is still the print server and determines the permissions for who can use the printer, you will be fine.

I hope this isn't too confusing for you.

In regards to working in the past, it could have only been the case of them being on the same network at the time it worked. Be sure to not confuse having different device names with being on different networks.

If you had 2 wireless adapters, you could bridge the networks on your notebook to allow for operation on 2 networks at the same time. You can also do the same with a wired and wireless network. It is really a matter of an adapter only having one address at a time.

I know this sounds very complicated, and I am trying to keep it simple (for both our benefits). I'll keep helping you to find a workable solution for you. Stay warm and have fun!

BTW, I haven't driven my Sprinter based RV in the snow yet. Have you and how does it perform in those conditions?

 

[COLGeek]

BTW, sent you a private message for future reference.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Best answer selected by mousemonkey.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey