home network help

[joemagiera]

I'm trying to set up what should be a very easy small home network. It's not working and I guess it's showing me how inexperienced I am at this stuff (please keep that in mind if you might try to help). It looks like this:

http://www.tollianweb.com/uc/network_problem.jpg

If it matters, PC#1 & PC#2 are running Windows XP and PC#3 is running Vista. Right now, router #1 is a Linksys, and the "wired communications device" is a router (#2), a D-Link. My problem is getting printer #3 to work (HP LJ4050N w/network card).

The only way I can get router #2 to work is to plug the cable from router #1 into one of the 4 PC ports. If I plug it into the WAN port (on router #2) it does not work, not even the PC's work. But if I plug it into a PC port, the PC's work, but the printer doesn't.

If I go on PC#2 (or3), I can get into router #1 via a web browser (standard Linksys 192.168.1.1). But I can't get into the D-link router at all (192.168.0.1).

I can plug the printer into a PC port on the router, and configure the printer to what should be a valid IP address, but it just doesn't work.

When I asked some people at work about it, they mentioned a few different things, that at the point of "wired communications device", I should be able to use a swicth or a hub. I really don't know the difference. They also mentioned that I should be able to plug into an uplink port on router#2 and it should work. However, none of the routers I have have a port labeled uplink.

Can anyone please guide me and explain what I need to do to get printer #3 to work? Also, should I be able to get into router#2 via a web browser somehow?

Sorry for the long winded description. Just trying to fully explain the situation. Thanks in advance for any help.

Joe (joemagiera at ameritech dot net)
[e-mail]

[joemagiera]

if they are connected to the same router then they are already belong to same network and can access each other.

Thank you for responding, however my problem is different. I can share files between the PC's. My problem is I can't get the second router to recognize the third printer. Or maybe I can't get the 2nd and 3rd PC to recognize the 3rd printer.

It's all stemming from the second router, and recognizing the printer off that router.

[rem1010]

On the first router, set a block of addresses that it will provide for dhcp which is LESS then you need, and then reserve an IP address for the 2nd router on the SAME subnet, then on the 2nd router reserve IP address for printer and you can use dhcp for PCs:

Example:
Router #1: Leave Internet WAN as is, if it is working

Set DHCP range 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.149
IF you have wireless, then be sure that it has the same range on this router.

Reserve IP address 192.168.1.15 for Router #2
Reserve IP address 192.168.1.14 for printer #1
Reserve IP address 192.168.1.13 for printer #2

ON Router #2
Connect wire from Router #1 LAN port to WAN port on Router #2
Set Router #2 WAN to DHCP or FIXED IP 192.168.1.15
Set Router DHCP range 192.168.1.160-192.168.1.199
Set Printer #3 to IP 192.168.1.12 (RESERVED on Router #2)

NOW everything is on same subnet and no address conflicts.
Any dhcp device connected to Router #2 will obtain an IP in the range from 192.168.1.160-192.168.1.199, except the printer will remain on 192.168.1.12

All PCs should now be able to print to any printer, using the IP address of the printer:

192.168.1.12 for printer #3
192.168.1.13 for printer #1
192.168.1.14 for printer #2

Hope this helps.

Bob