If the internet does not turn on while the local printer is working, it may be related to the gateway problem. You can narrow down the cause by separately testing local communication and traffic sent to other networks.

Basic approach

If a client sees the target on its own subnet, it attempts to communicate directly; uses the appropriate route for other destinations. The default route takes effect when no more specific route is available. Multiple adapters or VPNs may change the expected egress path.

Application steps

  1. Save the IP, mask and gateway values of the active adapter as read-only.
  2. Control a known local service and the gateway's administrative access separately. Compare the
  3. route print output with the expected VPN and Ethernet routes.

Practical example

If the gateway of a client using 192.168.30.25/24 is mistakenly set to 192.168.20.1, the external connection may be disrupted while access to the local .30 network is maintained. Verify the correct value from the network plan or DHCP configuration.

Interpret the result correctly

If the gateway does not respond to ping, it does not mean that it is not routing. ICMP policy may differ. A successful application connection and route information provide a stronger assessment than a ping result alone.

Source and follow-up reading

Protocol or command details: RFC 1122. The steps and example scenario are IPScans editorial narrative.