Newbie printer sharing question..

I have set up my wireless network and enabled printer and file
sharing.
My desktop is wired to the router and works fine, my laptop connects
wirelessly
as soon as it's booted up and works perfectly too.
When I come to share my printer (so I can print from the laptop) I
cannot see the
network/server/desktop etc.
If I try to add a network printer the wireless network does not appear
in the entire directory field.
How can I find my network printer?
Firewalls are all switched off and printer is set to share.
I feel I'm missing a fundamental step somewhere but have followed
several instructions
from books, the web etc.
Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you for your time.

Stagnight1 wrote:
> I have set up my wireless network and enabled printer and file
> sharing.
> My desktop is wired to the router and works fine, my laptop connects
> wirelessly
> as soon as it's booted up and works perfectly too.
> When I come to share my printer (so I can print from the laptop) I
> cannot see the
> network/server/desktop etc.
> If I try to add a network printer the wireless network does not appear
> in the entire directory field.
> How can I find my network printer?
> Firewalls are all switched off and printer is set to share.
> I feel I'm missing a fundamental step somewhere but have followed
> several instructions
> from books, the web etc.
> Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you for your time.
>

Is there something wrong in indicating what O/S(s) are being used? What
the brand of the router? What protocols are being used on the NIC(s)
etc, etc?

On 8 Mar 2007 01:33:35 -0800, "Stagnight1" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in <(E-Mail Removed) .com>:

>I have set up my wireless network and enabled printer and file
>sharing.
>My desktop is wired to the router and works fine, my laptop connects
>wirelessly
>as soon as it's booted up and works perfectly too.
>When I come to share my printer (so I can print from the laptop) I

What is the printer?
What is the printer attached to?
What is the OS?

>cannot see the
>network/server/desktop etc.

Can you see anything on the network?

>If I try to add a network printer the wireless network does not appear
>in the entire directory field.

What does that mean?

>How can I find my network printer?

Did you try the UNC name?
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_%28computing%29#Universal_Naming_Convention>

>Firewalls are all switched off and printer is set to share.

What did you do to 'set the printer to share'?

>I feel I'm missing a fundamental step somewhere but have followed
>several instructions
>from books, the web etc.
>Any suggestions gratefully received, thank you for your time.

Need more info!

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

Hi John
Printer is a Lexmark - don't have the model no. to hand
Printer is attached to the desktop via a usb cable
Os is windows XP pro.
>Can you see anything on the network?
where do I look? how do I look at the network?
I can see it's properties ie it's set up for printer/file sharing,
it's speed, it's status etc.
>>If I try to add a network printer the wireless network does not appear
>>in the entire directory field.
>What does that mean?
control panel, printers and faxes, add printer, find printer in
directory.
I was (wrongly I guess) assuming the network printer would appear in
here.
What did you do to 'set the printer to share'?
right click printer, sharing, share this printer.
thanks again for your time

Stagnight1 wrote:

> Printer is a Lexmark - don't have the model no. to hand
> Printer is attached to the desktop via a usb cable
> Os is windows XP pro.

Well, I had a guy I worked with that couldn't share resources between XP
pro machines on his network, which was all wire, with his Linksys
router. He ran for months without being able to network computers.

Yes, the XP Pro machines were using the out of the box protocols on the
NIC's, so he shouldn't have had a problem but he did.

I told him to use MS NWlink IPX/SPX on the NIC's and then the machines
were able to network.

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/..._protocols.htm

I used MS NWLink when I couldn't get the Win 2k machines wired and
wireless to network. MS NWlink did the trick.

Now, you may get some people flying in with posts about oh don't use
IPX/SPX something about NetBios. I don't give a rat's ass about that as
long as the machines can network is the bottom line, when they flat-out
couldn't or wouldn't do it before.

You can't network the machines now and you may not be able to do it with
your current set-up of protocols on the NIC(s) for whatever reasons.

If that's the case, you might want to use MS NWlink and go on about your
business.

> How can I find my network printer?

From your description, you do not have a network printer. You have a
printer attached to a desktop that you want to share over your network.

A network printer will usually have an ethernet connection (rj45) and its
own IP address.

Try this...
In your desktop, set your printer up to 'share'.

In your other computers, do not search for a 'network' printer...search for
a local printer...you should find a window that will show your
desktop/printer. select that...and follow the prompts to install the
drivers.

This works...I have this same configuration on my home network.

On 8 Mar 2007 06:52:13 -0800, "Stagnight1" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in <(E-Mail Removed). com>:

>Hi John
>Printer is a Lexmark - don't have the model no. to hand
>Printer is attached to the desktop via a usb cable
>Os is windows XP pro.
>>Can you see anything on the network?
>where do I look? how do I look at the network?

See the wikis below for Microsoft documents on setting up and
troubleshooting networking.

>I can see it's properties ie it's set up for printer/file sharing,
>it's speed, it's status etc.

What matters is what other computers can see.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:53:56 GMT, "Mr. Arnold" <"Mr. Arnold"@Arnold.COM>
wrote in <okWHh.10487$(E-Mail Removed) .net>:

>Now, you may get some people flying in with posts about oh don't use
>IPX/SPX ...

That would include me. Really Bad Idea.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Fri, 9 Mar 2007 08:20:59 -0500, "rieker"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
<(E-Mail Removed)>:

>> How can I find my network printer?
>
>From your description, you do not have a network printer. You have a
>printer attached to a desktop that you want to share over your network.
>
>A network printer will usually have an ethernet connection (rj45) and its
>own IP address.
>
>Try this...
>In your desktop, set your printer up to 'share'.
>
>In your other computers, do not search for a 'network' printer...search for
>a local printer...you should find a window that will show your
>desktop/printer. select that...and follow the prompts to install the
>drivers.
>
>This works...I have this same configuration on my home network.

Instead, I'd suggest searching for the host computer, and then seeing
what shared resources it has.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

John Navas wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:53:56 GMT, "Mr. Arnold" <"Mr. Arnold"@Arnold.COM>
> wrote in <okWHh.10487$(E-Mail Removed) .net>:
>
>
>>Now, you may get some people flying in with posts about oh don't use
>>IPX/SPX ...
>
>
> That would include me. Really Bad Idea.
>

I'll disagree and leave it at that.