devices cannot see each other over wifi

[#1]

I have an acer chromebook, a samsung tablet, samsung phone, canon i-sensys mf651cw printer and an epson xp-4155 printer. Each of these devices can connect to the outside world via my wifi, but they cannot see each other despite having valid ip addresses. The chromebook did start seeing the epson printer a while ago but that only lasted about a month and then went back to saying it wasn't available.

I can print from the chromebook to either printer via usb no problem. I can get to the epson printer via the epson printing app as well. However, today I tried connecting to the canon printer from my moblie phone, and the only way I could manage it was to use the QR code which said it couldn't connect over MY wifi but it could over a temporarily provided one - and that worked fine.

I have a plusnet hub 1 router - is this a known problem?

Sorry if this is a question already addressed but I couldn't see a thread quite like it.

[#2]

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Broadband to My Router

[#3 · Accepted solution]

I have a vague recollection that after many hours of operations, one of the Plusnet routers had a tendency to loose the ability to connect Wi-Fi devices and inhibited the interconnection of Wi-Fi and LAN connected devices.  However I think that was a Hub Zero.

Does this "characteristic" persist over a router reboot?

Looking at the "client" devices, do they treat the Wi-Fi connection as a public network and therefore make themselves undiscoverable (that is cannot be connected to)?

[#4]

Just did another reboot and this time it worked! I can see both my printers from the chromebook via wifi. I have no idea why because I have tried this several times previously and it didn't work then. This time however, after the reboot when I turned the chromebook on it was deadly slow, then it claimed it was offline and couldn't connect to the cloud - which it already was??? So I turned it off and on again and it was fine.

Thank you for your fix and I hope it lasts.

[#5]

Hi Martin,

I have seen “fringe” issues where a WiFi device successfully connects to the SSID but does not get a DHCP allocated IP address. The device then assigns its own IP address. In this scenario the device suggests it is connected to WiFi but then cannot connect to anything / anywhere.

A full power down and reboot of the router and client devices will clear a remembered network configuration.

Keep an eye on things.