How can I print wirelessly to my local printer when I use VPN?

Question

From the Googling I've done, this doesn't seem to be possible (or not easily achievable). Nevertheless, is it possible to print to my local (home) wireless printer when I'm connected to my office's VPN? I am using Cisco's VPN Client.

Solution

It depends on the configuration of your VPN.

If it is set to redirect all traffic to the other (work) network; then no.
All traffic is all traffic, including any traffic you wanted routed to a local printer.

If you have a split tunnel where you only route traffic for the work IP range over the VPN tunnel then you can access both locations. This is often disabled for security reasons.

(The cisco VPN client supports both, as well as locking it down to the safe mode.

Comments

[Simon]

If the VPN policy is set to block local network connections then it is not possible.

[ganesh]

SSeveral ways: 1) Look in the VPN clients configuration. 2) print the routing tables before and after starting the VPN client. or 3) ping a device on you local network which is not your default gateway. Then start the VPN. If ping starts to return timeouts then split tunneling is not used.

[ganesh]

Some useful links: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_tunneling --- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Systems_VPN_Client --- The answers on supportforums.cisco.com/thread/2105545 --- And the workaround in forums.speedguide.net/…