Member Avatar for opjjuly

i have a networked printer. LAN pc's (those usin ethernet cables) can browse and locate the printer on the server, BUT.. those laptops' and desktops connected via wireless, they cant find the printer.Everything used to be fine, until we had a power cut last week, i managed to get everything up and running, except the fact that machines connected through wireless cannot use the networked printer. The worst part is that i inherited the network from the previous employee, he never briefed me on the network structure etc..so some things i just trace by myself.

  • 3 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 241 Views
  • 1 Day Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by johhny-marshal

Dani AI

Generated

A compact, practical checklist to diagnose and fix cases where some clients see a network printer and others do not. It focuses on the most common causes (IP/subnet/VLAN differences, AP isolation, firewall/profile issues and a changed printer IP) and gives repeatable tests you can run now. As noted, start with basic network checks, and as implied, verify wireless equipment configuration as well.

Run these checks from both a working wired PC and a problem wireless client, then compare results:

  • Check addresses and name resolution:

    ipconfig /all   (Windows)   or   ip addr show (Linux/Mac)
nslookup <print-server-name>

  • Test reachability and route:

    ping <printer-IP>
tracert <printer-IP>   (or traceroute)
arp -a

  • Test the printer service ports (raw/JetDirect usually 9100; LPR/IPP may differ):

    telnet <printer-IP> 9100
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <printer-IP> -Port 9100   (PowerShell)

  • From the print server: verify the server’s firewall/inbound rules allow File & Printer Sharing for the network profile in use, and confirm the server isn’t treating the wireless subnet as a different (Public) profile.

Check wireless infrastructure and VLANs

  • Log into the AP/router and look for “Guest”, “Client/AP Isolation” or SSID-to-VLAN mappings. If the SSID is on a guest VLAN the clients will be isolated from the printer’s VLAN.
  • Verify switch uplinks and VLAN trunks between AP, switch and router. Managed switches can fail back to defaults after a power event—confirm VLANs are present and trunk ports are up.

Quick fixes and cautions

  • Give the printer a DHCP reservation or static IP to avoid address drift. Try connecting by IP temporarily (\<printer-IP>\share or add a TCP/IP printer port) to bypass name resolution issues. If you change VLAN or switch settings, back up configs and schedule a short maintenance window.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for JorgeM

You need to start with some basic network troubleshooting. For example, can you PING the server hosting the printer from the wireless devices?

Member Avatar for johhny-marshal

It is possible to connect, the laptops and PCs connected to wireless, to the printer connected to LAN. You need to cofigure the wireless routhers accordigly as done for LAN connectivity. There would be some differnces in case, like protocols and connectivity ports, but the basic terminology would be same.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.