printer only operates on single wifi network after 384.9

[jimmybond009]

Hi - just upgraded to Merlin 384.9 My Samsung laser printer is on our wireless network. Before the update I had it connected to the Guest wireless network, but it was still able to be printed to from devices on all networks. After 384.9, I can only print to it if the computer I am on is also on the guest network...from other networks (like my main network or my main 5G network) I can see printer but get connection errors and nothing prints.

Is this due to some security change? I had 384.7 before this and it worked with my setup. (I have RT-AC3100)

Is there a setting I can turn on to make the Samsung visible across all my networks? Thanks!

edit: I also cannot print from my PC on LAN to the wireless printer either, it tells me the printer is in an error state. Before posting here I did the usual printer troubleshooting, and with USB connection and the guest network wireless it prints test page perfectly, but as soon as I go to other networks or my LAN connection I get errors.

 

[L&LD]

From which firmware version did you upgrade from? Was a full reset to factory defaults performed, followed by a minimal and manual configuration to secure the router and connect to your ISP?

Did you use new SSID's for your newly setup router? Did you forget and re-associate all devices, at the very least?

Are all your devices still connected on a 'Private' network and not on a 'Public' one?

 

[jimmybond009]

I upgraded from 384.7.
no I did not do a clean reset, I merely uploaded the 384.9 .trx file in the "Administration - Firmware Upgrade", I have not had issues upgrading firmware for Merlin versions using that method before.Is there an expectation of doing a full reset to factory defaults for every version update?!?
No new SSID's.
All my devices are connected on the private network.

I have not tried rolling back to 384.7 to correct this, I'd rather have the newer version for other security issues it fixes. Mostly I was wondering if there was some kind of new option or toggle button I needed to click to make the printer visible across my multiple networks (2.4/5/2.4 guest / 5 guest / LAN) Before the printer was on the 2.4 guest but could still be seen and printed-to from the other networks and my LAN connected tower, but now that does not work and the only change was 384.9 firmware update.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Check that "Access Intranet" is set to "On" for the guest network.

from other networks (like my main network or my main 5G network) I can see printer but get connection errors and nothing prints

What do you mean by "see"?

 

[jimmybond009]

Check that "Access Intranet" is set to "On" for the guest network.

would this not defeat the security of having a guest network?

What do you mean by "see"?

I mean that the printer is visible as a network printer from these computers even though they are on other networks.

Printer Guest wifi + Computer guest wifi = no issues, can successfully print
Printer Guest wifi + [computer regular wifi // Computer LAN] = can see printer as an option but get error trying to print

as mentioned in first post I did not have this issue on my last merlin build 384.7 so wondered if something had changed that would have broken my printer setup. It was really handy to have the printer accessible from all my different wifi networks and computers even though I could keep it on the guest network. The printer has an older wifi connection (not 'N') so it will drag the rest of the network down to those speeds...how it worked before was the best of both worlds since I kept the printer on its own network but could still print to it from other networks.

UPDATE: I enabled intranet access for the guest network and can now print successfully from these other machines like before. Thanks for the idea, Colin. However, did I now open myself up to security considerations by doing this? for instance I keep our guest network with a simpler password so guests don't type it in wrong. Now I am wondering if I had Intranet turned on before (would this update have reset it?)

 

[ColinTaylor]

would this not defeat the security of having a guest network?

Indeed. But if your printer was accessible before then that suggests the separation of the guest network wasn't working. After all, a device can't be isolated from the LAN and not isolated from the LAN at the same time, it's either one or the other. It's possible the "change" may have been to fix a bug that was preventing the isolation from happening.

Did you have any non-standard software installed that might have effected this, like YazFi?

Printer Guest wifi + [computer regular wifi // Computer LAN] = can see printer as an option but get error trying to print

If you mean that you still have the printer defined on your PC then that makes sense. Any changes to the network or printer won't change what is already setup on the PC.

The printer has an older wifi connection (not 'N') so it will drag the rest of the network down to those speeds...

The guest networks are just virtual interfaces on their parent physical interfaces. So if you have a g-type device connected to a 2.4GHz guest network then it will be effecting all of the router's 2.4GHz networks because they are in reality all the same single radio.

 

[jimmybond009]

Indeed. But if your printer was accessible before then that suggests the separation of the guest network wasn't working. After all, a device can't be isolated from the LAN and not isolated from the LAN at the same time, it's either one or the other. It's possible the "change" may have been to fix a bug that was preventing the isolation from happening.

that makes total sense

Did you have any non-standard software installed that might have effected this, like YazFi?

no additional software

The guest networks are just virtual interfaces on their parent physical interfaces. So if you have a g-type device connected to a 2.4GHz guest network then it will be effecting all of the router's 2.4GHz networks because they are in reality all the same single radio.

good to know this is how they operate, I thought I was segregating the slower speeds but apparently not.