Member Avatar for ForestTech

Hi,

Our office was piggybacking off a network owned by another company in the same building. We just got our own DSL connection today and have changed our workstation IP's from 10.1.1.x to 192.168.1.x and switched off DHCP on the new router to avoid screwing their network.

Everything has gone great, though we are sharing a printer with the other company, which cannot be accessed anymore as it is on the other network, and within a domain (we are just a workgroup). We were able to print to this printer previously, even though we were a workgroup.

Is their an easy way to send print jobs to this printer, or should I get another network card in the XP Pro "server" and configure it to the old settings, and use it as a print server??

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out with this!

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Dani AI

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Good practical thread — and a few follow-ups that help others who hit the same split-network + domain/workgroup problem.

Options to consider (pick one that matches your control over routers/printers):

  • Configure routing between the two subnets on your routers so clients can reach the printer IP directly. Make sure the routers allow the necessary print ports.
  • Install a small dedicated print server (hardware USB or a low-cost Linux box) on the printer's network and publish the device there; it can offer raw/TCP, LPD or IPP services that are easier to reach across subnets.
  • Have clients install the printer by IP (Add Printer → create a Standard TCP/IP port). Many network printers accept raw TCP on port 9100 (direct printing) or LPR/IPP; this bypasses Windows share authentication.

Quick troubleshooting checklist:

  • Verify basic connectivity to the printer IP (ping or equivalent).
  • Test the printer port(s) are reachable (RAW/9100, LPD/515, IPP/631, or SMB 445/139 depending on how it’s shared). If the port is blocked, printing won’t work even if you can ping.
  • If the printer is a Windows share on a domain, authentication can block access from workgroup machines. Two practical workarounds: use direct-IP printing (avoids share auth) or arrange credentials on the print host that match client accounts so Windows will authenticate.
  • Make sure correct drivers are installed on each client; installing the driver first often fixes failures when adding an IP printer.

Notes on security and maintenance:

  • Running printing through old OSes (Windows XP era) or crossing networks without proper firewall rules can expose data and credentials. Consider replacing unsupported systems or isolating them. See Microsoft’s Windows XP end-of-support details for context: Windows XP End of Support

Credit to for the “use your own equipment” point and to for confirming a workable local fix.

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Member Avatar for tom curren

Having your own equipment in your own company is not only good advice but it is also more legal as far as the IRS is concerned.

Member Avatar for ForestTech

Long story...

Basically, the two companies are part-owned by the same guy. So it's not something that we're doing a dodgy on at all. It's just a matter of space and funds.

We sorted out the problem in the end by assigning a second IP address to the network card on our server and sharing it all out that way.

Cheers,
Luke

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