How To: Setting up File and Printer sharing between two routers

How-to
By
published

We often hear from people who have two (or more!) routers in their LAN and are trying to get Microsoft File and Printer sharing running among all their computers. This ProblemSolver will explain why this doesn't work by default and provide some suggestions for working around the problem.

Going the other way

My earlier statement that clients connected to the first router won’t be able to access any clients attached to the second router for file and printer sharing actually isn’t entirely true. By using the second router’s DMZ (or exposed computer) function you can actually share in this direction, but for only one second router client at a time.

All you need to do is put the IP address of the computer you want to share in DMZ, then use the WAN IP address of the router when you go to access the computer. You don’t have to worry about weakening security for the computer that you put in DMZ, since it’s already protected by the first router’s firewall. But if you’re really paranoid, you can open just TCP and UDP ports 137, 138, and 139 to the IP address of the computer that you want to access instead of putting it in DMZ.

TG Publishing Team

Tom's Guide upgrades your life by helping you decide what products to buy, finding the best deals and showing you how to get the most out of them and solving problems as they arise. Tom's Guide is here to help you accomplish your goals, find great products without the hassle, get the best deals, discover things others don’t want you to know and save time when problems arise. Visit the About Tom's Guide page for more information and to find out how we test products.