You’re working from home, connected to your VPN, and everything seems fine.
Until you need to print something.
Your printer is turned on. Your laptop is connected to Wi-Fi. The printer worked perfectly a few minutes ago.
But now your computer can’t find it.
You disconnect the VPN, try again, and suddenly the printer appears.
So, what’s going on?
Your VPN may be affecting how your device communicates with other devices on your local network.
When a VPN is connected, your internet traffic is routed through a secure VPN tunnel. Depending on the VPN configuration, this can sometimes interfere with communication between your laptop and local devices such as printers.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to disconnect your VPN every time you want to print.
Here’s why it happens and what you can do to fix it.
Why Does a VPN Affect My Printer?
Your laptop and printer normally communicate through your local network.
When you connect to a VPN, the way your device routes traffic can change. If local network communication isn’t allowed, your laptop may no longer be able to discover or connect to the printer.
That can leave you with this frustrating situation:
VPN OFF → Printer works
VPN ON → Printer unavailable
Your VPN connection isn’t necessarily broken. Your device may simply need permission to communicate with local devices while the VPN remains active.
How to Fix Printer Access While Using a VPN
1. Enable Local Network Access
The first thing to check is whether your VPN has a Local Network Access option.
PureVPN includes Local Network Access, which allows your device to communicate with compatible devices on your local network while you’re connected to the VPN.
This can help you access:
- Home or office printers
- NAS or network storage
- Shared folders
- Other computers on your network
Enable Local Network Access in the PureVPN app and then try searching for your printer again.
This lets you keep your VPN connected instead of disconnecting it every time you need to print.
2. Make Sure Your Printer and Laptop Are on the Same Network
Before changing your VPN settings, check the basics.
Your laptop and printer should normally be connected to the same local network.
For example, if your laptop is connected to your main home Wi-Fi but your printer is connected to a guest network, the two devices may not be able to communicate.
Also check whether your router has settings such as:
- Guest network isolation
- AP isolation
- Client isolation
These settings can prevent devices connected to the same router from communicating with each other.
3. Reconnect Your Printer
If Local Network Access is enabled but your printer still doesn’t appear, try restarting the connection.
You can:
- Turn your printer off and back on.
- Disconnect and reconnect your laptop to Wi-Fi.
- Reconnect your VPN.
- Search for the printer again.
You can also restart your computer if the printer still isn’t detected.
Sometimes reconnecting the devices is enough to restore local network communication.
4. Check Your Firewall
Your VPN may not be the only thing blocking the printer.
Your computer’s firewall or security software can also prevent communication with local devices.
If your printer works when the VPN is disconnected but stops appearing when the VPN is connected, check whether your firewall is blocking local network communication or your printer software.
The exact settings depend on your operating system and security software, so avoid disabling your firewall completely unless you’re troubleshooting with appropriate safeguards.
5. Check Your Printer’s IP Address
If your printer still isn’t appearing automatically, you may be able to connect to it using its local IP address.
Many home networks use private IP addresses such as:
- 192.168.x.x
- 10.x.x.x
- 172.16.x.x – 172.31.x.x
Your printer’s local IP address can usually be found in its network settings or through your router’s list of connected devices.
If you previously added the printer using an IP address, check that the address hasn’t changed after the printer or router restarted.
Can You Print Without Disconnecting Your VPN?
Yes, in many cases.
If your VPN allows local network access, you can keep the VPN connected while communicating with compatible devices on your trusted local network.
That means you don’t have to keep doing this:
Connect VPN → Disconnect VPN → Print → Reconnect VPN
Instead, enable Local Network Access and continue using your printer while your VPN stays connected.
Is Local Network Access Safe?
Local Network Access is useful, but it’s important to understand what it does.
When enabled, your device can communicate with other devices on the same local network while your VPN remains connected.
That’s particularly useful on networks you trust, such as:
- Your home Wi-Fi
- Your private office network
- A network you personally manage
You should be more cautious on unfamiliar networks such as public Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, or cafés.
If you don’t need to communicate with local devices on an unfamiliar network, you may prefer to keep local network access disabled.
What If My Printer Still Doesn’t Work?
If you’ve enabled Local Network Access and your printer still isn’t available, work through these checks:
- Make sure the printer is powered on.
- Confirm your laptop and printer are on the same network.
- Make sure the printer isn’t connected to a guest network.
- Check your firewall settings.
- Restart your printer and laptop.
- Check the printer’s current local IP address.
- Reconnect your VPN and try again.
If the printer works immediately after disconnecting the VPN, the issue may be related to local network routing or a security setting rather than the printer itself.
Does This Only Affect Printers?
No.
The same local network issue can affect other devices and services.
You might notice problems accessing:
- NAS devices
- Network drives
- Shared folders
- Other computers
- Local media servers
- Some smart home devices
These devices rely on communication over your local network. If your VPN configuration prevents that communication, they may appear unavailable while your VPN is connected.
Allowing local network access can help maintain communication with compatible devices while keeping your VPN active.
Does a VPN Stop Local Network Devices From Working?
Not necessarily.
A VPN doesn’t automatically make every local device inaccessible.
Whether you can access your printer or other local devices depends on factors such as your VPN’s configuration, your operating system, firewall settings, router configuration, and how the device communicates with your network.
That’s why the first thing to check is whether your VPN provides a Local Network Access option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Your VPN may be changing how network traffic is routed, which can prevent your laptop from communicating with devices on your local network.
Yes. If your VPN supports local network access, you may be able to communicate with your printer without disconnecting your VPN.
Does Local Network Access turn off my VPN?
No. Local Network Access allows communication with compatible devices on your local network while your VPN remains connected.
Disconnecting the VPN restores your normal network routing, which can allow your laptop to communicate with the printer again.
It’s best to be cautious. Local Network Access allows communication with devices on the same network, so it is generally more appropriate for trusted networks such as your home or private office network.
Keep Your VPN Connected and Your Printer Working
If your printer suddenly disappears whenever you connect to a VPN, you don’t necessarily have to choose between VPN protection and local printing.
Start by checking that your laptop and printer are on the same network. Then review your firewall settings and look for a Local Network Access option in your VPN.
With PureVPN, you can enable Local Network Access to communicate with compatible devices on your trusted local network while keeping your VPN connected.
Because printing a document shouldn’t require you to disconnect your VPN every time.
