How to Print from Guest Wi-Fi to a Printer on the Main Network
any home router; brand menus described generically · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/wifi/print-to-a-printer-on-a-different-wifi-network
Guest networks isolate every device from the main network on purpose, so a printer on the main Wi-Fi is invisible to a laptop on the guest Wi-Fi even when both are in the same room. Nothing is broken; you need a path around the isolation.
Join the main network
Ask the owner or host for the main Wi-Fi password and connect to that network. The printer then appears in the usual place: Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, Add device on Windows, or System Settings, Printers & Scanners on a Mac. This is the fastest fix and the only one that works exactly like a normal home setup.
Move the printer to the guest network
If you cannot get main-network access but can change the printer, connect the printer to the guest network from its control panel (Wireless, Setup Wizard, or the maker's app). Both devices are then on the same side. Some routers also block guest devices from seeing each other (client isolation), in which case the printer stays invisible and this step will not help.
Use the printer maker's cloud print service
Most printers sold in recent years can receive jobs over the internet from any network. HP: the HP Smart app, or email the document to the printer's ePrint address. Epson: the Epson Smart Panel app, or the printer's Epson Connect Email Print address. Canon: the Canon PRINT app on models with cloud printing. Brother and others: check the printer's app for a remote or cloud print option, since not every model has one. The printer must be registered to an account first, which is a one-time setup by whoever owns it.
Send the file to someone on the main network
Email, message, or share the document to a person or device connected to the main Wi-Fi and print from there. Low tech, and it works every time.
Plug in a USB cable
Connect the computer to the printer with a USB A-to-B cable (the square-ended plug most printers use). Windows and macOS install the driver on their own, and Wi-Fi is not involved at all.
If you control the router. Guest network settings often include a toggle such as Allow guests to access my local network or Guest isolation. Turning access on makes the printer visible, but it also exposes every other device on the main network to guests, so it is usually best left off. On a work or school network, IT can add a printer exception instead of opening the whole network.