How to access devices connected to router if my computer is connected to a switch with my router

Question

I really don't know what to search for this problem (anything I search gives me 'How to connect to internet articles).

Here is a 'diagram' of my network:

I want to print and scan from the printer using the HP Smart app.

When I run ipconfig I get this:

IPv4 Address: 100.80.28.73
Subnet Mask: 255.255.224.0
Default Gateway: 100.80.0.1

My router's IP address is 100.80.11.229.

How would I access the printer from the desktop computer?

P.S. The reason the desktop is connected to the switch and not the router is because I have 1 Gigabit internet and I was only getting 100 down and 5 up. And when it's on the switch I get the full speed.

Answer 1

The modem is not also a router. So it has to be on the router's WAN side.

The modem, not being a router, will only supply internet access to one device, that has to be the router.

So the computer will need to go through the router to get to the Internet. But that's precisely what you wanted to avoid by using the switch.

So this leaves two options:

1. Use the computer as a router and use the router only as an access point.

2. Accept that only the computer will have internet access and no other devices will.

Either way, you'll have to configure two separate networks that run over the very same physical network.

You can simply assign the computer IP address 192.168.0.1/24 on this network, assign the router 192.168.0.2/24 and the printer 192.168.0.2/24. You can't use DHCP to autoconfigure. So you will have to figure out how to assign the printer a static IP address.

You will have to figure out how to get the computer to get a dynamic IP address from the modem for the WAN side but also use a static IP address on the LAN side.

Ideally, the computer would have two ethernet ports, one for the modem and one for the switch. Then your WAN and LAN networks could stay physically separate.

This is a complex and fragile configuration that requires some expertise to configure, understand, and maintain. Using a switch with VLAN support would simplify it. Personally, I'd suggest just getting a decent wireless router with gigabit ports. Something like the Belkin AC1600 is around $40.

Answer 2

The following method will work (there are other ways but I use the method below).

1. Be sure you can manage the wireless router by logging into it.

2. Hook up a LAN port on the wireless router to the Switch (all LAN ports). Connect by Ethernet.

3. Give the wireless router a static IP address on your main network.

4. Turn DHCP Off on the wireless router.

Restart (not reset) the wireless router.

All the above should work (and does wherever I implement it) and everything including the printer will be on the same subnet and accessible.

The PC of course will be connected to the LAN and the Switch will be connected to a LAN port on the Modem.

Good Luck.