Printing locally while connected to VPN

When connecting to a VPN from home, shared printers & networked printers using netbios names as routes, and consumer MFC's or bad drivers can all cause issues. However, the most common issue is the use of NetBios names used as PORT #'s when mapping the printers via Cisco VPN Clients. There is a similar issue with other software clients as well. The workstation cannot differentiate between the local and remote network's NETBIOS names, therefore will show printers as "Off-Line" that have a port designated as something such as "Brother2632" instead of "192.168.1.200" for example. If you do not use the ip address when installing the printer, the network software cannot determine which network the printer is on, and refuses to send the traffic. I hope this helps in your endeavors and if this is not the solution to your current issue, you can be more aware of this issue when running printer diagnostics in the future. Good luck!

Huh????

Hello,

I had the same problem using our VPN system and a home networked printer.  Just came up with a solution today that has worked...so far!  My home network printer is hooked to a Netgear print server via a USB connection.  Since the VPN system won't allow any outside peripheral inside it's "tunnel", it won't let the VPN based computer access any other network.  The VPN system is a two-way tunnel that doesn't allow anything else in. 

I decided to try a USB switch to add my VPN enabled laptop to the same system.  I am using a USB switch , not a hub and the one I purchased is a manual switch bought on Amazon for under $20 (called Cables to Go 30505).  It basically splits the USB cable attached to the printer into two separate lines, one for the home network and one for the VPN based computer to access the printer directly through a USB connection, not through the home network. 

The USB switch has three connections; one incoming for the USB cable from the printer and two outgoing.  You need to have two "USB A to B" cables, same as the USB cable that connects to the printer.  The B end of the cable is more square and connects to devices (the printer).  You will see the connections on the switch if you look at the photo of the item at Amazon.  I connected one cable from the switch to my print server and the other cable from the switch directly to my VPN computer.  It's working on both ends!!  There is a simple button on top of the switch to bounce back and forth between the two connections.  I did have to install the printer driver on my VPN computer again for the USB connection but that was an easy task.

Now if I'm working, I make sure the switch is on the first port and it is a direct link between computer and printer.  If I'm going to print on my personal computers, a simple push of the button switches the connection over to the home network.  At some point I will probably try an automatic switch but I wanted to test the theory first!!

Understanding all systems are different, not sure if this will work for you but it is working here.  Hopefully this helps!

Hi Jeremiah,

I work from home, and have several clients that I use VPN to connect to their networks.

I also VPN to connect to my own business network.

I am using Windows 7 on my home laptop.

When I VPN to my business network - I can still print no problem to my local printer.

When I connect to one of my client's - I can't print locally.

I have gone into the properties of that VPN connection, and turned off 'Use default gateway on remote network" - this made no difference.

I have also set my local printer settings to use the IP address and not the printer name - and also reserved this IP address on my local network.

Nothing seems to help.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks, 

Amber

I added a route manually but could not figure how why I still could not print. tracert to the printer's IP looked good. Your post put me in business. Thank you, thank you!