Not all devices on C7000v2 see each other

[PetrellaMD]

Hi! 

I've wired, via Ethernet through Gb switches: my laptop, a printer, and a Chromecast ready TV; but only seem to be able to see other devices (on the C7000v2) via wireless. E.g., if I turn wifi off on our Dell printer, no one on the LAN (wired or wireless) can see it. 

I'm certainly not understanding something; so would appreciate any instruction on how to get everyone connected, without falling back on wifi-for-all. 

Here's what I'm shooting for: laptops and printers (and the TV), in the home office, connected via Ethernet to the C7000v2; and any cell phones or tablets or laptops connected via wifi elsewhere in the house to be able to see all those devices (at least the printers) as well. Bonus: I'd like to be able to "cast" from cell phone to the TV. 

Thanks in advance! MDP

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I've wired, via Ethernet through Gb switches: my laptop, a printer,
> and a Chromecast ready TV; [...]

> [...] if I turn wifi off on our Dell printer, [...]

   I'll assume that your (unspecified) "a printer" and your
(unspecified) "our Dell printer" are the same thing.

   Does that mean that the printer is always connected by Ethernet, and
sometimes also wirelessly?

> [...] no one on the LAN (wired or wireless) can see it.

   "see"?  Where/how, exactly, are they looking for it?

   Generally speaking, a _device_ (like, say, a printer) does not have
an IP address; a network _interface_ on a device has an IP address.  If
your computers/devices are expecting to find the printer at the IP
address of its wireless interface, and you disable that interface, then
they might very easily not guess that the same printer can be found at
the (different) IP address of its Ethernet interface.

   For a device with only one network interface, you can afford to be
sloppy, and refer to the address of the device.  For a device with
multiple network interfaces, that kind of sloppy is often too sloppy.

> Here's what I'm shooting for: [...]

   Unless you use a wireless "guest" network on the C7000v2, all devices
on your LAN should be able to communicate with each other, whether
wired or wireless (either radio band).

   However, configuring a device (like, say, a printer) with more than
one interface on the same LAN subnet would be unwise, as would
whimsically enabling/disabling any particular interface.  Your typical
gizmo with multiple interfaces is not expecting to treat them as
redundant paths to the same place, and your typical computer OS is not
expecting one printer to be available at multiple IP addresses.

   All these devices are getting IP addresses on the same subnet
("192.168.0.*", I'd expect), right?  (If not, then you have still more
complications.)

   For a device like a printer, your computers might be happier if the
printer (that is, the one network interface on the printer which is
being used) always had the same IP address.

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual (at least).  Read.  Look for
"Address Reservation".

   If, someday, you decided to use the other interface on the printer,
then I'd guess that you could change that address reservation to apply
to that other interface (with its different MAC address), and the
software on the computers might never notice the difference.

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I've wired, via Ethernet through Gb switches: my laptop, a printer,
> and a Chromecast ready TV; [...]

> [...] if I turn wifi off on our Dell printer, [...]

   I'll assume that your (unspecified) "a printer" and your
(unspecified) "our Dell printer" are the same thing.

   Does that mean that the printer is always connected by Ethernet, and
sometimes also wirelessly?

> [...] no one on the LAN (wired or wireless) can see it.

   "see"?  Where/how, exactly, are they looking for it?

   Generally speaking, a _device_ (like, say, a printer) does not have
an IP address; a network _interface_ on a device has an IP address.  If
your computers/devices are expecting to find the printer at the IP
address of its wireless interface, and you disable that interface, then
they might very easily not guess that the same printer can be found at
the (different) IP address of its Ethernet interface.

   For a device with only one network interface, you can afford to be
sloppy, and refer to the address of the device.  For a device with
multiple network interfaces, that kind of sloppy is often too sloppy.

> Here's what I'm shooting for: [...]

   Unless you use a wireless "guest" network on the C7000v2, all devices
on your LAN should be able to communicate with each other, whether
wired or wireless (either radio band).

   However, configuring a device (like, say, a printer) with more than
one interface on the same LAN subnet would be unwise, as would
whimsically enabling/disabling any particular interface.  Your typical
gizmo with multiple interfaces is not expecting to treat them as
redundant paths to the same place, and your typical computer OS is not
expecting one printer to be available at multiple IP addresses.

   All these devices are getting IP addresses on the same subnet
("192.168.0.*", I'd expect), right?  (If not, then you have still more
complications.)

   For a device like a printer, your computers might be happier if the
printer (that is, the one network interface on the printer which is
being used) always had the same IP address.

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual (at least).  Read.  Look for
"Address Reservation".

   If, someday, you decided to use the other interface on the printer,
then I'd guess that you could change that address reservation to apply
to that other interface (with its different MAC address), and the
software on the computers might never notice the difference.

[PetrellaMD]

Thank you, so very much, for your info (and your patience)! 

What I wasn't grasping was the independent IP addresses (I mean: the wireless addr should not be expected to be the same as the wired address; so obvious, but I neglected to consider it). 

I'll re-try to disconnect wireless then reconnect with ethernet on the Dell E525w, and wait to see if I can "see" it via my cell phone (I expect that I'll have to re-"locate" this printer using the Dell Document Hub Android app; I'm reasonably certain that I neglected to do that the first time I tried this "new" LAN config). 

I have great hopes that this should work. Then, I just need to re-"install" the printer on my wife's Lenovo x250 running Windows 10 (she's the one who always seems to keep "dropping" printers). 

I'll report back; and thanks again!! MDP

[antinode]

> [...] so obvious, [...]

   Sure, _if_ you associate an IP address with a network interface,
rather than with a device as a whole.  Having the right model in your
head often helps in analyzing the behavior of a system.

   And, for a one-interface device, the sloppy model does the job.

> I'll report back; [...]

   Please do.

[PetrellaMD]

Thanks again! I believe that I'm on my way: I plugged an Ehternet cable into the back of our HP M118dw and the WiFi indicator light turned off; so I re-ran the HP Smart app on my desktop, and it "installed" the "new" printer, which I can also access easily enough from my Moto Z3 cell phone. So it would appear that I can continue on this path and make these 2 printers accessible from other laptops in our home office Lan. 😉

Thanks again!! MDP

[PetrellaMD]

Yes; I've been successfully able to add Ethernet connected devices to the C7000v2, and all pc's in the network can access them. 

The biggest issue (the start of the whole "problem") was our Dell E525w: When I plugged an ethernet cable into it, some months ago, nothing "registered" anywhere. As I only peered around the back and didn't notice lights, I imagined I had a model without the light inidicators. Turns out that the ethernet port was "boinked" up: one of the tines was somewhat mashed; so I straightened it out, then reconnected the ethernet cable, and all of a sudden all lights came on, and all systems in the network found this printer. 

Lesson learned? Be open to checking the physical connections on your devices, as the reasons for problems may include bits that are bent out of shape. 😞