New router, guest subnet woes...

MidlandsGlory

Hi
Installed a new D-Link DIR-X1860 router, some issues but works OK. The 'main side' everything is on the 192.168.0.x range as set in the settings. Usually I put the kids on guest side so they can't access the NAS drives and can hand out the password to friends when they came round (pre-covid!) also gave me option to withdraw their access separately.
But I can't get the Epson printer to work like it did on the old router it was fine with this arrangement.
You have to be on the main side to access the printer at all, I have set the "Internet Access Only:" to disable on the guest which should mean it can access the main side (wider network)  but its having no effect.
I have just noticed that the guest side seem to be working in the 192.168.7.x range which the kids devices have all been assigned IP's within by the router. Which would explain it, if I connect with a computer to guest set to an IP 192.168.0.x it gets nowhere.
But.. there is no setting for IP of guest in the router!  so how did it come up with  '7'?? Did it pick it on the basis of the first device that hooked in? if so... can I just switch everything off and reboot then show it a 192.168.0.x device to get it in that subnet mood before firing up the other devices and letting it dish out IP's in that range?
I just don't understand why it came up with it. If it wasn't for the fact the old router just couldn't handle the number of connections I would put it back in, it was vastly more configurable, I bought another D-link because I though it would be similar.. its certainly not.
Thanks for reading / any insight

CoastingHatbox

Hello.

I can't really speak to the router you have bought specifically, but I would be surprised if any device connected to the Guest network would be able to connect to any device on the trusted network.

With a fully fledged router, this  is something you would be able to do. You would, in principle:

• Create a DHCP reservation for the printer in the 192.168.0.0/24 network, say 192.168.0.241
• Create a firewall rule that would allow devices in the 192.168.7.0/24 network to speak to the printer (192.168.0.241) - you might choose to allow all traffic, or restrict it to certain ports.
  

If you connect a device into the 192.168.7.0/24 network with a static IP in the 192.168.0.0/24 range, I would expect the router to drop any packets it receives from that device.

It might be that on this router, a firewall rule is needed. This is covered on pages 70 and 71 of the manual:
https://fccid.io/KA2IRX1860A1/User-Manual/Users-Manual-rev2-4644194.pdf