Use a router as a kinda switch with a firewall to block traffic?

[BillyCarpenter]

The better solution for this would be a VLAN on the switch port for the MFP that only allows the traffic needed for printing and the web interface (9100, 515, 80, or 443) and drops everything else. The customer would need a managed switch to do that but it's going to be a much better solution than trying to add a router, which serves a very different purpose.

A lot of our customers are going the VLAN route since it can also be used from a management perspective to segment devices by their function and allows for a lot less traffic.

I've played around with VLAN's before and correct me if I'm wrong....it's been a while. A VLAN is a "logical" way of creating separate networks that can't communicate with each other. I believe the entire purpose of VLANS is to have separate networks. So, how is that gonna work if you put the copier on it's own network? The only way 2 VLANS can communicate is via a router.

[slimslob]

I have had customers using manageable switches to separate printer traffic to specific ports. It can become a problem if there are more than jack is near the printer. Let's say they move everything out to paint the office, replace the carpeting, whatever and when they put everything back they plug the printer into the wrong jack. Pain to trouble shoot until you look at the wall and realize that's the jack I usually plug my laptop into.

It is better to program the switches to only allow printer traffic to an address range and assign printers fixed addresses within that range. Someone does have to document those addresses to avoid problems.

[BillyCarpenter]

I have had customers using manageable switches to separate printer traffic to specific ports. It can become a problem if there are more than jack is near the printer. Let's say they move everything out to paint the office, replace the carpeting, whatever and when they put everything back they plug the printer into the wrong jack. Pain to trouble shoot until you look at the wall and realize that's the jack I usually plug my laptop into.

It is better to program the switches to only allow printer traffic to an address range and assign printers fixed addresses within that range. Someone does have to document those addresses to avoid problems.

All of this is interesting but referring back to the original problem of undesired network traffic , all of the possible solutions mentioned seem to be a bit convoluted to me. I don't think these work-arounds are the way to go.

[ThePomqueteer]

Some makes allow you to limit the IP's that can send traffic to them. In the Ricoh world its called Access Control.

Access Control

If it isn't a Ricoh might be worth checking if they offer a similar option.

[rthonpm]

I've played around with VLAN's before and correct me if I'm wrong....it's been a while. A VLAN is a "logical" way of creating separate networks that can't communicate with each other. I believe the entire purpose of VLANS is to have separate networks. So, how is that gonna work if you put the copier on it's own network? The only way 2 VLANS can communicate is via a router.

Layer 3 swtiches are the preferred solution since they can do the routing between VLAN's without passing the packets to another device.

[BillyCarpenter]

Layer 3 swtiches are the preferred solution since they can do the routing between VLAN's without passing the packets to another device.

I'm not an experienced network guy so I could be totally off base. Yes, but now we're talking about installing a layer 3 switch on a customer's network to keep the unwanted traffic from the copier, but what is this unwanted network traffic doing to the overall network? Isn't this simply putting a band aid on the problem?

[rthonpm]

Installing the switch is for the customer to do since it would have to be configured by them to work with their network. I brought it up as a solution for the overall issue of traffic control as I've seen implemented and have assisted customers in moving towards.

In this particular case, the issue lies in the customer's network so unless you also manage their network the issue is for them to fix. All you can do is confirm that the copier is working properly.

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk

[slimslob]

I'm not an experienced network guy so I could be totally off base. Yes, but now we're talking about installing a layer 3 switch on a customer's network to keep the unwanted traffic from the copier, but what is this unwanted network traffic doing to the overall network? Isn't this simply putting a band aid on the problem?

The first thing to determine whether the unwanted traffic is coming from somewhere on the local network or the internet. If it is the internet then the ISP need to be involved in stopping it. Otherwise their internet modem will continue to be hammered making using the internet very slow.

If it is the local network then someone is either doing something or visiting websites that they should not be or has some type of malware.

[BillyCarpenter]

The first thing to determine whether the unwanted traffic is coming from somewhere on the local network or the internet. If it is the internet then the ISP need to be involved in stopping it. Otherwise their internet modem will continue to be hammered making using the internet very slow.

If it is the local network then someone is either doing something or visiting websites that they should not be or has some type of malware.

I'm with you on that, slim.

In case it's my network that we're talking about, before we install an extra router or a layer 3 switch to block out the unwanted traffic, I want to know the source.


To use an analogy: If we're inside our house and we come under fire from the enemy, we can put sandbags around our house and hope that protects us from the bullets or we can eliminate the enemy.

[slimslob]

I'm with you on that, slim.

In case it's my network that we're talking about, before we install an extra router or a layer 3 switch to block out the unwanted traffic, I want to know the source.


To use an analogy: If we're inside our house and we come under fire from the enemy, we can put sandbags around our house and hope that protects us from the bullets or we can eliminate the enemy.

Do you have a number of mobile devices using your WiFi? With a lot of apps it's a constant ET call home. Checking for updates and new ads, backing up data, etc. Many you can configure to only go online when they are in the foreground.