We’re encountering a perplexing issue with a user attempting to print from their work computer to their Home Printer using Microsoft’s built-in VPN and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Despite a seemingly correct VPN and RDP setup, the user is unable to print to their home printer when connected remotely.
The user confirms that the VPN connection itself is stable and has been reliable in the past for general remote domain access. The primary indicator of the problem is the immediate restoration of printing functionality to the home printer as soon as the VPN connection is disconnected. This strongly suggests the VPN or RDP configuration is central to the printing issue.
RDP settings have been thoroughly checked, ensuring both “Printers” and “Clipboard” are enabled under Local Resources, as these are the essential components required for the user’s remote work.
Interestingly, the user’s home printer is a wireless model connected to their home network and utilizes Wi-Fi Direct to link with their home computer. Local printing within their home network functions flawlessly, eliminating the home printer itself as the source of the fault.
Historically, printing to the home printer over VPN/RDP was seamless. The disruption began recently. A previous technician investigated and found duplicate redirections of the home printer on the remote workstation. Removing one of these duplicate entries temporarily resolved the problem, and remote printing to the home printer resumed.
However, this resolution was short-lived. After a few days, the printing issue recurred.
Upon re-examination, both the printer and fax were again redirected in the RDP session, yet the print function remained non-operational.
To isolate the problem, the user disconnected from both RDP and VPN, confirming local printing to the home printer was still working correctly.
Further verification of the VPN and RDP configurations (as initially suspected) showed no apparent changes or misconfigurations. The previous technician only addressed the printer redirection and did not alter VPN or RDP settings. Network connectivity on both ends also appears to be functioning as expected.
The core mystery remains: why did the printer redirection suddenly cease to function, experience a brief fix, and then fail again?
To rule out driver inconsistencies, a double-check confirmed that identical printer drivers are installed on both the remote workstation and the local machine connected to the home printer.
At this juncture, the root cause of the interrupted home printer redirection remains elusive. Any insights or suggestions on troubleshooting steps would be greatly appreciated.
