using ethernet & usb networking simultaneously
 

hello folks,

i have a desktop pc running XP-pro, whose ethernet pci card shares a router
(and a printer hooked up to the router) with 3 other computers. It's nice,
because the older router - with it's parallel printer port - gives me an
easy way to share my (also old!) laserjet printer with my other pc's.

i moved my pc upstairs, can't reach the modem with "wire", so got a wireless
USB adapter, which is fine for the internet, but for some reason, now that
i'm not getting my internet thru the "old, wired" router, I have to actually
disable it in the control panel network setup, in order for my wireless USB
to function as an internet connection.

so, every time I have to print, i have to, in turn, disable the wireless
network
adapter, enable the ethernet card, then reverse the process to use the
internet again.

Is there any way I could tweak the OS to "recognize" the wireless as
internet host, and the wired as printer host so I can leave them both turned
on?

the "wired" printer is shared, on 192.168.2.1, "select device port" is LPT1
the ethernet is labeled "Local Area Connection" and has all the usual items
(Client for MS networks, TCP/IP etc) installed.

thanks for any advice or suggestions.

Dave

Re: using ethernet & usb networking simultaneously
 

"Dave" <dave@dave.ca> wrote in message
news:ic4vo.7638$4X5.6632@newsfe14.iad...
> hello folks,
>
> i have a desktop pc running XP-pro, whose ethernet pci card shares a
> router
> (and a printer hooked up to the router) with 3 other computers. It's
> nice,
> because the older router - with it's parallel printer port - gives me an
> easy way to share my (also old!) laserjet printer with my other pc's.
>
> i moved my pc upstairs, can't reach the modem with "wire", so got a
> wireless
> USB adapter, which is fine for the internet, but for some reason, now that
> i'm not getting my internet thru the "old, wired" router, I have to
> actually
> disable it in the control panel network setup, in order for my wireless
> USB
> to function as an internet connection.
>
> so, every time I have to print, i have to, in turn, disable the wireless
> network
> adapter, enable the ethernet card, then reverse the process to use the
> internet again.
>
> Is there any way I could tweak the OS to "recognize" the wireless as
> internet host, and the wired as printer host so I can leave them both
> turned
> on?
>
> the "wired" printer is shared, on 192.168.2.1, "select device port" is
> LPT1
> the ethernet is labeled "Local Area Connection" and has all the usual
> items
> (Client for MS networks, TCP/IP etc) installed.
>
> thanks for any advice or suggestions.
>
> Dave

Hi Dave,

This is a long shot as I'm not entirely clear what you are trying to do and
only get into networking when something goes wrong, then I fix and tend to
forget. But...

We had problems with usb network adaptors - both being underpowered and
unreliable (well our Buffalo one was anyway) as indeed was Bluetooth. I
solved this by converting a router to act as the wireless dongle via the
ethernet port instead of the usb. You can do this by flashing a router with
DD-WRT firmware and using the extra setting options this gives. A converted
router can be positioned for best signal much more easily, and the operating
frequency can be changed to suit what is less crowded in your area too. The
'bridge' you thus create with the router has several other ethernet
connections for your printers and other peripherals too. I would not call
it an easy set up as there are a large number of variables to get set right,
but once I found the right ones, our bridge has been performing flawlessly
for so long I would have to start learning about it all over again if it
were to pack up.

Try reading: http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index for starters.

S

Re: using ethernet & usb networking simultaneously
 

"Dave" <dave@dave.ca> wrote in message
news:ic4vo.7638$4X5.6632@newsfe14.iad...
> hello folks,
>
> i have a desktop pc running XP-pro, whose ethernet pci card shares a
> router
> (and a printer hooked up to the router) with 3 other computers. It's
> nice,
> because the older router - with it's parallel printer port - gives me an
> easy way to share my (also old!) laserjet printer with my other pc's.
>
> i moved my pc upstairs, can't reach the modem with "wire", so got a
> wireless
> USB adapter, which is fine for the internet, but for some reason, now that
> i'm not getting my internet thru the "old, wired" router, I have to
> actually
> disable it in the control panel network setup, in order for my wireless
> USB
> to function as an internet connection.
>
> so, every time I have to print, i have to, in turn, disable the wireless
> network
> adapter, enable the ethernet card, then reverse the process to use the
> internet again.
>
> Is there any way I could tweak the OS to "recognize" the wireless as
> internet host, and the wired as printer host so I can leave them both
> turned
> on?
>
> the "wired" printer is shared, on 192.168.2.1, "select device port" is
> LPT1
> the ethernet is labeled "Local Area Connection" and has all the usual
> items
> (Client for MS networks, TCP/IP etc) installed.
>
> thanks for any advice or suggestions.
>
> Dave
>

someone did help me out with this problem, which allowed me to use both
networks at once; one network (wired) has a printer shared by SMC router,
the other is a wireless for internet. The help I got had to do with
changing a feature in the TCP/IP settings of each network, under advanced,
called "Interface Metric"... setting one at a value of 10 (wireless), and
the other (wired router) at 20. So, problem solved of running an IP printer
and USB printer both "live" at the same time.

However, since changing these "Interface Metrics", I have noticed that
Internet Explorer 8 takes an extremely long time to "connect" to the
internet on starting the app, and a long time to open new tabs once the app
is running. Wondering if this "metrics" setting has influenced this and/or
if my settings are correct..

thanks for any feedback,

Dave