Printer sharing

Hello,

I'm trying to find a quick and easy way to share a Xerox copier on 2 networks for printing. These 2 organizations want to share the hardware while maintaining separate networks. The device can be set up to print as a network printer via it's ethernet adaptor, or it can be printed to via USB cable. The company's tech support says the device won't allow both simultaneously.

My problem is that both networks have the same IP addressing scheme, and default gateways, and neither wants to change.

Networks: 192.168.1.0/24
Default Gateways: 192.168.1.1

I tried using a couple of linksys routers to put the device on a third network that both networks could access, but could not get this to work either.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Walter

 

Hey Walter, you have posed a challege. Theoretically your 2 extra router scheme should work. If it didn't you may have to set up static routes or possibly port triggering on both seeing how linksys normally dropps packets not requested. Though an easier fix would be to change subnets on one of the networks. Im assuming these networks are in close proximity? With a 24 mask there cant be too many users on each and if running DHCP the switch wouldn't be more than a 5 min. ordeal and then a reboot for each computer. Another option though it would take some hardware reconfiguration is to put both networks on the same physical gateway and separate them by subnets. You will loose users if you stick with the 192.168.1.X scheme but if you know subnetting you could go with a 10.10.X.X and solve that problem.