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Thread: Wireless printer sharing across networks?

  1. #1
    Senior Member problemchild's Avatar
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    Wireless printer sharing across networks?

    Ok, after resisting change for quite some time because that's just my nature, I'm getting on board the wireless bandwagon finally. But I have an issue I'm not sure about, and a good Googling didn't turn up anything that seemed really on point.

    In my office, we have 2 separate LANs connected to our DSL. The whole building is wired with cat-5 and runs through 3 Cisco 24-port switches to a Netopia DSL router. The Netopia assigns IPs in the 192.168.1.x. range. Then we have a Netgear 802.11g wireless router connected to the DSL, and it assigns IPs in the 192.168.0.x range and doesn't use WEP because it has to be publicly accessible. So far so good. Both networks are accessible to anyone who comes in the building (it's a hotel), and although I'm not really the admin (....company contracts and such), I am in a position where I can make a phone call and get changes made to the networks if I need them.

    In my office, I use 2 computers for my daily work. I have a desktop system running Windows XP Pro that's connected to the cabled network, and a Dell Inspiron notebook running Gentoo that's on the wireless network. My problem is that I need to print from the notebook via CUPS to the HP DeskJet 3820 that's connected to the desktop system.

    So given the situation, how would my fellow AOers approach the issue? Firstly, would you do it? Would you share a printer on a publicly accessible wireless network, and if so, how would you go about it without opening up a security hole you could drive a truck through? Would you reconfigure one of the routers so that they are on the same subnet and share it via SMB, or would you add a wireless NIC to the desktop system and put on the wirelass LAN? Or something entirely different?

    Googling is good for facts, but what I'm looking for is opinions......
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  2. #2
    Macht Nicht Aus moxnix's Avatar
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    On such an open system, I believe you would be setting yourself up for problems. You would be limiting access to your desktop only by the MAC address I believe (am probably not even close?)
    But I can think of a quick and easy alternative. Buy a USB flash drive, load the documents you wish to print onto it, replug it into your desktop and print them. I have seen 64 meg drives that are under $50 and 128 megs for under $70. Then at least you won't be opening a closed system to netbios exploits..
    \"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO - What a Ride!\"
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  3. #3
    AO French Antique News Whore
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    I agree with Moxnix. Opening a workgroup between the 2 computers would be a bad idea. Secure both boxes individually and change data with USB Key.
    -Simon \"SDK\"

  4. #4
    AO übergeek phishphreek's Avatar
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    I see that the DeskJet 3820 has both USB and Parallel interfaces.

    I have my printer hooked up to two boxes. One via parallel, one via USB.
    (both boxes are on different subnets like your's. one is on a wireless subnet and one on wired subnet)

    If you have enough cable length... just do it that way.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member problemchild's Avatar
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    Yeah, I know.... that's just not as cool as standing in the lobby and printing to my office.

    Thanks for the feedback.
    Do what you want with the girl, but leave me alone!

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