I'm trying to ping a printer with a manual IP address of 192.168.1.5 on a 192.168.1.0/24 network. I have two computers and a printer with the following ip settings:
Windows 8:
IP: 192.168.1.100 (DHCP)
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Mac Mavericks:
IP: 192.168.1.10 (Manual)
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Printer:
IP: 192.168.1.5 (Manual)
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
The mac can ping the windows 8 machine and the printer. The windows machine can ping the mac, but it can't ping the printer. I have no idea why not; I tried giving the windows machine a manual address, even though I didn't think it would do anything, and I was right (it didn't solve the problem).
What could be preventing my windows machine from pinging 192.168.1.5? Is there some way I can check to see what's blocking me from pinging that address from the windows machine?
Best Answer
I was rummaging through the router settings and I came across a security setting called "filter multicast". I turned it off and the computer was able to ping the printer. I turned it back on again and it was still able to ping the printer. I'm not sure exactly why (I assume it has something to do with establishing the initial connection/maybe updating a routing table), but at least it's working.