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Problem creating a mixed network of network printers, Macs and PCs Airport Extreme

Hi


I have just purchased an Airport Extreme and Draytec 1300 router to replace my ageing Linksys router modem. My problem is that our broadband connection is very slow in our SOHO network of 4 Macbook airs 2 Imacs, 3 legacy windows 7 PCs and 2 network printers an HP 9500 mfp and Panasonic DPC 264. Before the conversion, all PCs and Macs could print from all printers and scan from them albeit slowly as well as see and connect to each other. The Linksys provides DCHP to all devices there are no static IP addresses. My intention was to install a second router and load balance the two routers manually using fixed IP addresses for the ethernet attached devices using a second Gateway address to the second broadband connection and allowing the wireless connected Macbook Airs to use the first Gateway - a form of DIY bonding.


But way before I have got to those complexities I cannot get the network set up to work properly. I have tried replicating what I have with DCHP from the Airport Extreme - which is dead easy to set up and whilst the computers can see each other (and connect to the internet) no computer can connect to either printer. They both are present and visible - using either DCHP or providing a fixed IP from the AE. But I cannot even log into the embedded printer websie using either method. When you reinstall the drivers they instantly install but when you try to print to either printer they just pause and as for receipt of scanned images - no chance!


I had thought it could be a IP address /subnet mask issue but the subnet is 255.255.255.0 for all devices and all have DCHP in the range 10.0.1.XX under DCHP or you can manually assign IP addresses outside the DCHP range 10.0.1.2XX using the MAC addresses.


The whole office ground to a halt when the AE was installed, but as soon as I put the old linksys back everything returned magically to normal. Given that is the only thing I need to change to get the system working again, there must be a setting or something I am doing incorrectly in the AE - but there aren't that many options - shall I send the thing back or can it manually be configured to work? Is it suitable for this application or is it a toy for home video streaming only??

Posted on May 19, 2015 2:51 PM

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4 replies

May 19, 2015 4:26 PM in response to POD24

When you exchange the linksys to the apple router .. (please leave out the draytek for now, just replace one with the other).


Your Macs should have no problems.. SHOULD.. but in reality Yosemite is killing things..


Are you running Yosemite?


Please turn on after replacement just a couple of items..


There can be a domain issue.. Apple use local as the default domain name.. but the printers could well have another domain manually set.. or may simply not pick up the values required from the apple router. (DHCP is not uniform in the way it works between devices).


I hate to suggest it.. but if you can try to change the IP of the apple router to the same one used by the linksys (192.168.1.1) and I would also like you to check domain as well. I run multiple routers of different brands and domain is a problem.. I cannot see devices on a different domain.. and I am not even running Yosemite which made everything worse.


Use your network utility to do netstat scan of the network.. and also ensure the Macs at least are set to ipv6 as link-local only. eg wireless.


User uploaded file


I am not even sure if the netstat scan from yosemite can give us the info we want.


Open a terminal and try ping to the printer IP address.. does it respond.


Are you setting static gateways on the computers already?


What about DNS address?

May 20, 2015 12:51 PM in response to LaPastenague

Hi

Thank you for all your help - I have followed your instructions and inadvertently happened upon a solution. Yes Yosemite on all macs. I swapped out the Linksys like you advised and encountered the same problem with the APE. I managed to configure its IP address to 192.168.1.1 but could not connect to the internet and when I managed this the IP address changed to 10.0.1.1. I wondered if I set the APE to bridge mode and used the DCHP of the linksys to provide the IP addresses and connected it into the WAN port of the APE. I know to you purists this is probably cheating (and begs the question why have an APE in the first place) but lo and behold I could see all network computers be they Macs or PCs and can connect and print from both printers. I have switched off wireless from the linksys and intend as soon as we have a second ADSL line to use the Vigor 1300 as the second Gateway plugged into a LAN port on the APE. My only problem now is directing 50% of the computer traffic to the second gateway. I can manually set up half the computers to use as a default Gateway 2 and I think I can use static addresses so that the key components remain in place in the event of a power outtage. This isn't the ideal solution and the bottleneck of the linksys remains at the moment - we are not using the APE to its full potential but at least for now everything is working. Once again thanks for all your help.

May 20, 2015 2:07 PM in response to POD24

It is worth at some point using a dual wan router..


They tend to be business level stuff.. and if you keep your eye on ebay and auction sites.. sometimes that kind of gear goes for a song.. home users don't want it and another business will not buy second hand equipment. I have bought several routers over the years.. in these kinds of sales.. and usually fixing them up and using them for installs for business where they need higher grade stuff without over worrying about its source.


There is nothing wrong with your solution until the linksys dies.. they seem to do that mighty regularly using cheap and nasty components.. so when you get to that point rethink it.

Problem creating a mixed network of network printers, Macs and PCs Airport Extreme

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