Issues connecting a computer to two networks LAN & WiFi

[thecomputerguy]

So I have a strange setup that I thought would work for a client but I'm running into a snag. I haven't been out there to troubleshoot it onsite but here's the setup...

There are two networks.
Network A has a giant Office Printer/Copier.
Network B that needs access to that Office Printer/Copier.

My thoughts were that I could use the WiFi adapter on the computer on Network B to Connect to Network A to be able to access that Office Printer/Copier. This is in in addition to the Computer on Network B having it's own wired network.

So, I connected the Computer on Network B to Network A via wireless. I then hard-coded an IP address and Subnet, but not the Gateway since we don't need internet.

Everything works great!

I reboot the computer, and it will not automatically connect to the WiFi on Network A and as such cannot communicate with the printer.

If I bring up the network connection manager the network is available, connect automatically is checked in, and if I click the network and connect it, it does not require a network passcode (since it's a known network), and then after a short delay connects fine.

It's almost like the computer just doesn't attempt to connect at all.

Both Networks are Workgroups.

Tried:

Rebooting computer
Rebooting WiFi
Updating WiFi Drivers
Tried using DHCP instead of Static IP's (With and Without Gateway/DNS)

AP's are Ubiquiti AP's.
This issue occurs on the two and only computers on Network B.
Network A is: 192.168.1.1
Network B is: 192.168.15.1

Any ideas on this? It seemed simple enough to me to get one computer to join two networks, and it does work, I just can't get the computer to join Network A automatically on it's own. Manually connect it an it's fine.

Any ideas?

 

[SAFCasper]

Came across the exact issue before so I looked up my notes. We fixed it with a group policy and it looks like there is also a registry key can be used if not on a domain.

Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain

This policy setting determines if a computer can have multiple connections to the internet or to a Windows domain. If multiple connections are allowed, it then determines how network traffic will be routed.

admx.help

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy
DWORD fMinimizeConnections
Value = 0

 

[thecomputerguy]

Came across the exact issue before so I looked up my notes. We fixed it with a group policy and it looks like there is also a registry key can be used if not on a domain.

Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain

This policy setting determines if a computer can have multiple connections to the internet or to a Windows domain. If multiple connections are allowed, it then determines how network traffic will be routed.

admx.help

HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WcmSvc\GroupPolicy
DWORD fMinimizeConnections
Value = 0

Heck YEAH! This is it ... thank you!