Networking options for sharing in a small office

[ottaway7]

Hi All,

We have a small business with a simple windows network (some wireless, some hard wired).
We are getting new tenants in upstairs who will have their own separate network.

We would like the new tenants to have access to one single print server on our network with it's own IP address, but nothing else on the network.

My question is, options???? I believe we can get a managed (smart) switch for that part of the network and allow access through that.
I think I could do it through having a windows server, but I would really rather not alter our existing network if possible.
Is there any other (simple) way? Are managed switches relatively straight forward to configure?

I've been building / repairing computers going on 20 years, but have had nothing to do with anything other than simple unsecured networks.

Thanks for your help

Cheers
Steve..

 

[hang-the-9]

Install a second network card in the print server, connect that second card to the second network. Called a "multihomed" connection. The people on the other network will be able to connect to the server, but without a bit of hacking will not be able to get to the other network.

 

[ottaway7]

Thanks for your response.
I'll check with our printer supplier, but as it is a leased machine, I don't know if they will be willing or ablebto do that.
I've had a couple of other suggestions - one was to use a NAS box, connect by network to the tenants, connected by USB to our machine & use a script to forward any files that are dropped on it to the printer server. Unfortunately, from what I've read you can't connect NAS boxes by usb & network at the same time in this way.
The 2nd (& most likely the way we will go) is basically what "hang-the-9" suggested, but was to setup a cheap interface pc with 2 network cards that can access both networks.

I'm also still investigating the managed switch option, but I don't want to go and purchase one if it won't do what we want.

 

[ottaway7]

Best answer selected by ottaway7.

 

[d85kennedy]

I always belive that sometimes the simplest solution is the best.

It would be cheaper for them buy them their own damn printer instead of buying and configuring a managed switch. If your only networking experience is with "simple unsecured networks" then you would have to pay somebody to configure your switch and reconfig the server if/when you got stuck.

Managed switches
http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Networking/cat/Switches/subcat/Switches---Managed

Printers
http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Photo/cat/Printers/subcat/All-In-One-Laser-Printers

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey