I've Lost My Mind- Wireless and Wired Networks

John Maddox

Reputable
Mar 5, 2014
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I'm losing it in my old age I guess...

I have a wired network on 192.168.254.xxx- Controlled by a Comcast SMC

I have a wireless network on 192.168.1.xxx- Controlled by a D-Link DIR-615

I have a server on the wired network that can be seen and accessed with no problem from the wireless clients.

I have several wireless printers that can be seen and used from the wireless network clients.

What I'd like to be able to do is print to the wireless printers from wired clients. Why you may ask....SPEED...lol

I know I'm missing something really stupid and just have too much going on right now to remember how to do it. I was thinking static routing in my Comcast SMC (which also serves DHCP on my LAN to wired clients) and is my router/firewall combo.

But that goes nowhere.

Is there a specific reason my wired and wireless clients are on different subnets? I inherited this, and have been out of IT for almost three years (they say the memory is the first to go...)

Is there harm in having wired and wireless clients get 192.168.254.xxx addresses? I'm thinking this was likely done for security purposes. But we are such a small office now (5 of us FT) that I'm thinking I'll just give the Wireless and wired clients the same subnet to eliminate problems....but if I'm missing something simple...

Thanks for the help!
 
Solution
You have the standard nat issue. I assume the dlink is plugged into the comcast. From the wireless machines point of view the wired network is the internet. This means unless you port forward machines from the "internet" can not reach the printers.

It will be easier to make your dlink into a AP. You turn off DHCP and plug the cable from the comcast into a LAN port rather than the WAN port on the dlink. You also need to give the dlink a lan ip of say 192.168.254.250...anything that does not conflict. Your comcast router will now give all your wireless devices IP and everything will be on the same subnet. The only "security" you have is the wired machines can not access the wireless...which seems more a hindrance than a good...
You have the standard nat issue. I assume the dlink is plugged into the comcast. From the wireless machines point of view the wired network is the internet. This means unless you port forward machines from the "internet" can not reach the printers.

It will be easier to make your dlink into a AP. You turn off DHCP and plug the cable from the comcast into a LAN port rather than the WAN port on the dlink. You also need to give the dlink a lan ip of say 192.168.254.250...anything that does not conflict. Your comcast router will now give all your wireless devices IP and everything will be on the same subnet. The only "security" you have is the wired machines can not access the wireless...which seems more a hindrance than a good security practice
 
Solution