Bridging multiple wireless SSIDs

[redvers]

Having used a Sky router where everything was on the same SSID, I've upgraded to an RT-AC66U and now have a 5G network to play with, as well as a guest network.

So each has it's own SSID, ASUS2G, ASUS5G, GUEST2G, GUEST5G

Eldest daughter is the only real user of the guest network, it means I can change the password daily and she doesn't get it until she gets her chores done.

Most devices connect to ASUS5G with a couple of exceptions, the main one being my Canon MG5450 multi function AirPrint compatible printer & scanner.

As they are effectively on different wifi networks, nothing on either guest network or the ASUS5G network can see the printer

Is there any way to bridge these or should I just use the same SSID for both 2G and 5G networks (which still doesn't resolve daughters access but that's less important)

 

[jegesq]

Having used a Sky router where everything was on the same SSID, I've upgraded to an RT-AC66U and now have a 5G network to play with, as well as a guest network.

So each has it's own SSID, ASUS2G, ASUS5G, GUEST2G, GUEST5G

Eldest daughter is the only real user of the guest network, it means I can change the password daily and she doesn't get it until she gets her chores done.

Most devices connect to ASUS5G with a couple of exceptions, the main one being my Canon MG5450 multi function AirPrint compatible printer & scanner.

As they are effectively on different wifi networks, nothing on either guest network or the ASUS5G network can see the printer

Is there any way to bridge these or should I just use the same SSID for both 2G and 5G networks (which still doesn't resolve daughters access but that's less important)

Having different SSID's doesn't mean you have separate networks. Whatever is connected and part of your LAN is all part of the same "Local Area Network", unless you have set up different subnets. You should be able to see a shared device (e.g., printer, server, etc), provided you have set up the device properly to be shared. The fact that some devices connect wirelessly via 2.4ghz and others use 5ghz doesn't mean they are "separate networks", just that they are using different channels to access the network.

The guest network is however treated differently, and is by default isolated from the rest of the LAN (which is why it's ideal for "guests" who have no business accessing your network shares). You can however change the setting on the Guest Networks to be able to see your internal network devices, and thus gain access to shares. Just set "access intranet" to "on" in the Guest Network settings.

And by the way, you actually have six potential Guest "networks" with the AC66U, three on 2.4 and three on 5ghz. Those are all separate from one another though, and while you can have one guest SSID "see" the shares and gain access to them, I'm not aware that you can allow access between two different guest networks (so that someone using "guest 1" could share a device connected via "guest 2" for example). But that's not your issue anyway.

Why can't your printer connect? My guess is that it's security settings don't match with your router's security settings. The Canon MG5450's wireless interface is a 2.4ghz 802.11 b/g/n (i.e., single band) interface, so whatever security settings you have for that band need to match with whatever you've set up on the router's 2.4ghz band. You might also try changing channels (using only 1, 6 or 11) to see which one gives you a connection, since you might have intereference somewhere which is keeping your Canon MG5450 from connecting.

Alternatively, the Canon MG5450 has a USB interface (but apparently no LAN port), so you might try setting up a print server and connecting the printer via the AC66's USB port. You can use the ASUS print server feature in "USB Applications" through the GUI. Give that a try if wireless connection isn't working.

 

[redvers]

Thanks for the detailed reply!

I had initially gone to canon support pages with the issue, and the implication was that under AirPrint the devices talk directly, rather than via the router. The suggestion was to use the same SSID to ensure that all devices are on the same network.

Am not sure if it was something I changed or just a lease renewal (or maybe you did something to fix it for me? but I tried again earlier and it was working!

The guest network can see shares but I don't know if that means bonjour notifications will cross over to the guest side as well. For now the daughter can use the main computer to do any printing from anyway, stops her from wasting too much ink too