Connecting 2 networks to a Photocopier

[SimpleSi]

I've been wondering for a while how to get both admin and curric networks to print to the same photocopier and I visited a school today where its been done by the merry men from Western Business Systems!

 

They've just connected the admin network via ethernet and just run a USB cable from the curric server that's in the room next door!

 

Now it might not work on all photcopiers but worth a go (if your curric server is anywhere near your photocopier that is - or where you could stick a simple print server nearby)

 

regards

 

Simon

[m25man]

Simples!

[FN-GM]

or you could attach a USB print server to the USB port then from that Ethernet into the other network. Some copiers and printers also allow you to have more than one network card in.

[SimpleSi]

a USB print server to the USB port

 

Never seen a usb printer server that works - I've bought 2 myself and neither worked with the printers I tried connecting them to - they're the hardware equivalent of flakeware

 

But YMMV

 

regards

 

Simon

[FN-GM]

Never seen a usb printer server that works - I've bought 2 myself and neither worked with the printers I tried connecting them to - they're the hardware equivalent of flakeware

 

But YMMV

 

regards

 

Simon

 

We have one or 2 HP ones that work. We did have another but it decided it didnt like to work on one of the Vlans. Weird.

[MatthewL]

I've had a HP one and currently have a number of Belkin ones at home as they have 2 USB ports on the earlier versions.

[m25man]

Never seen a usb printer server that works

 

Watch out for the GDI issues again.

 

Many cheap USB print servers do not support GDI Printers.

 

There are USB to GDI Printservers out there so you need to check your printer and PS USB devices for compatability.

Edimax do some that not only drive a GDI but can support Bi-Directional scans too!

[budgester]

VLANS and routing are you friend if you have switches that are capable.

[mac_shinobi]

or you could attach a USB print server to the USB port then from that Ethernet into the other network. Some copiers and printers also allow you to have more than one network card in.

 

That's how Ricoh do it although you can't do scanning on the usb port at least not with the MFD's as there are no usb twain drivers for them so any scanning has to be done via the network connection ie scan to folder / scan to email etc. Also Ricoh MFD's for now that I am aware of only allow you to use one network connection at any one point in time as you can only select one network connection as it toggles between them that I am aware of - unless there is a firmware update or something else that can be done , not sure.

[RSoP_Robbers]

VLANS and routing are you friend if you have switches that are capable.

 

Ditto!

 

Thats how we've done it

[SimpleSi]

VLANS and routing are you friend if you have switches that are capable.

 

So in big boys and girls networks you can have one printer on 1 ip/subnet and route traffic to it from 2 other ip/subnets without mssing up the 2 separate networks?

 

Any chance of quick explan/diagram?

 

Maybe I could just buy the cheapest poss VLAN Switch?

 

regards

 

Simon

[localzuk]

Wrong topic by any chance?

[SimpleSi]

oops.......!

 

(Just to clarify - I've deleted the post that localzuk is reffering to )

 

regards

 

Simon

Edited February 2, 2010 by SimpleSi

[RSoP_Robbers]

It's on topic isn't it? :-S

 

I'll see if I can send you a diagram in a bit Si :-)

[Cools]

Just set up a print server that can bee seen on both networks ..

put 2 nics in it..

1 admin and 1 curric.

if you have split network.

 

or 1 nic 2 ips if admin and curric are on the same network but diff ip ranges..

the default gw will be the side the printers are on.

 

i keep it all on 1 ip range.. saves having this problem..

and do trusted domains.

But i don't have the problems you have with kids.. being a middle school.

[SYNACK]

Whichever way you do it you do open up a security hole between the two networks as at some point in the chain one device is going to be able to talk to both networks and if that device is compromised then it can be exploited to gain access to the other network. It is actually safer doing it the way suggested by SimpleSi as this does not open up a network channel.

 

If I had to set it up connected to both networks over IP I would look at using a router to regulate access. This router or core layer4 switch would be connected to both the networks and the printer network. For an example Admin 172.16.1.0, Curr 10.15.0.0 and printers 192.168.15.0

 

The router would be the default gateway or a defined route on the actual default gateway to the printer network. The router would only allow traffic sourced directly from the printer network to exit to either network using either access lists or route restriction which would prevent the passing of data from one network to another without some fancy workarounds.

[mac_shinobi]

Whichever way you do it you do open up a security hole between the two networks as at some point in the chain one device is going to be able to talk to both networks and if that device is compromised then it can be exploited to gain access to the other network. It is actually safer doing it the way suggested by SimpleSi as this does not open up a network channel.

 

If I had to set it up connected to both networks over IP I would look at using a router to regulate access. This router or core layer4 switch would be connected to both the networks and the printer network. For an example Admin 172.16.1.0, Curr 10.15.0.0 and printers 192.168.15.0

 

The router would be the default gateway or a defined route on the actual default gateway to the printer network. The router would only allow traffic sourced directly from the printer network to exit to either network using either access lists or route restriction which would prevent the passing of data from one network to another without some fancy workarounds.

 

which way is that sorry, Been through the posts above and can't see which way you are referring to.

[SimpleSi]

Just set up a print server that can bee seen on both networks ..

put 2 nics in it..

1 admin and 1 curric.

if you have split network.

 

The problem with all the 2 network solutions is that it would do in the ability for the document scanner functions you get with modern photocopiers.

 

Which is not say its a killer problem and thinking about it - if the print server was a w2k3 machine/file server - the files would be saved on the server and then they could be accessed as a shared folder.

 

I think I'll need to see if an old ex-teacher toshlaptop with a wireless card can be used as the bridging device - also would get around photocopier location issues as it usually not easy to put in a place with both networks availabe via cat 5.

 

regards

 

Simon

[mac_shinobi]

The problem with all the 2 network solutions is that it would do in the ability for the document scanner functions you get with modern photocopiers.

 

Which is not say its a killer problem and thinking about it - if the print server was a w2k3 machine/file server - the files would be saved on the server and then they could be accessed as a shared folder.

 

I think I'll need to see if an old ex-teacher toshlaptop with a wireless card can be used as the bridging device - also would get around photocopier location issues as it usually not easy to put in a place with both networks availabe via cat 5.

 

regards

 

Simon

 

use open filer or free nas and get it to scan to the nas computer and make the nas computer have 2 nics as per an above suggestion and have one nic configured to the admin network and the other one on the curric network and setup a generic scanning account on the copier to scan to the same location or you could make an account for each user that scans into the same location + \username ie

 

user 1

user 2

user 3

 

if the computer was named compscans then unc path would be something along the lines of

 

\\compscans\root_share\userX

 

where userX is each users sub folder so they get there own scans in there own user folder.

[SimpleSi]

Do nas /openfiler handle printing and have drivers for photcopiers?

 

regards

 

Simon