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Set up AC1750 Smart WiFi Router as print server
I know it's overkill. But I just installed an ASUS Mesh WiFi system and now have an extra AC1750 Smart WiFi Router (6400). I would like to set it up to work on the mesh network as a print server, sin...
freeassociates wrote:
To be clear, I am looking to have this all on my main WiFi mesh network so that the R6400 is connected wirelessly.
Aha. That's a very different story from anything you have said so far.
Your original message said " Smart WiFi Router as print server". You didn't say how you wanted to connect the R6400 to the Asus router.
The easiest way is to do what I suggested, put the R6400 into AP mode and plug it into the Asus router.
What you now describe is wifi to wifi connection. That would mean putting the R6400 into wifi bridge (repeater) mode. That's a much more complicated move.
To do that, check the manual for the R6400 and read the section Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode.
It isn't easy, and might not even work with your anonymous router.
Your first message said "I would like to set it up to work on the mesh network as a print server".
Is there any reason why you can't plug the R6400 into the router? It would be there on the network for everything else. It would also be a lot easier to set up and manage.
It worked (finally)!
After several tries resulting in a few partially printed pages where the Canon just stopped after an inch or less, I unplugged and relaunched both the printer and the router and let everything settle down. Then tried it again. Success! At least for now.
I have the router set to join the network at 2.4 Ghz rather than 5 Ghz. I don't know if that actually matters for this, but it's working so I will likely not mess with it.
Normal printer installation via Bonjour. Once the R6400 was set up in bridge mode, the rest was pretty straightforward, if initially glitchy and unreliable. Now it's fine. Weird.
Thanks for all your help, Michael, and I hope this helps someone else in a similar situation,
freeassociates wrote:
I have the router set to join the network at 2.4 Ghz rather than 5 Ghz. I don't know if that actually matters for this, but it's working so I will likely not mess with it.
Beyond saying "Canon" you didn't say what model your printer is. Many, if not all, printers work only at 2.4 GHz. That is plenty fast enough for that sort of traffic. They will not see 5 GHz wifi, so on or off doesn't matter to the printer.
If this is a wireless printer, I'm surprised that you feel the need to use a USB "print server".
In my case, the iP7250 works fine as a network printer with a USB connection to one PC. Then the rest of the network can see it.
But if you have got the R6400 playing nicely, you can also use it to share USB storage over your network. I find that more useful than printer sharing.