Printer Sharing and Network

Hi, I'm running two desktops with XP Professional Service Pack 2. Desktoop A
has a cable modem plugged into a wireless router (I'm using an ethernet card
to access the internet - the wireless router is to play xbox online in
another room) that is plugged into my vonage box which then goes into my
computer. I also have a printer hooked up to Desktop A that I would like to
print to from Desktop B. Desktop B has a wireless PCI card. Both computers
access the internet properly. However, when i try to share the printe, it
seems as though the computers can not see each other. I have disabled the
firewall on both desktops. Please help. I've tried everything including
creating a network which I'm not even sure I had to do, but I had problems
with that too. Can you please tell me how to do this step by step. At this
point, the only thing I need to share is the printer.

Thank you.

Hi.

I presume you have made sure all the computers are on the same workgroup etc
and the wireless devices use the same ssid.

Usually the network wizard takes you through all the right steps.

If you have been through all the routine steps, power-cycling the router is
occasionally all thats needed to fix the problem.

Sometimes
"a_ryan1972" wrote:

> Hi, I'm running two desktops with XP Professional Service Pack 2. Desktoop A
> has a cable modem plugged into a wireless router (I'm using an ethernet card
> to access the internet - the wireless router is to play xbox online in
> another room) that is plugged into my vonage box which then goes into my
> computer. I also have a printer hooked up to Desktop A that I would like to
> print to from Desktop B. Desktop B has a wireless PCI card. Both computers
> access the internet properly. However, when i try to share the printe, it
> seems as though the computers can not see each other. I have disabled the
> firewall on both desktops. Please help. I've tried everything including
> creating a network which I'm not even sure I had to do, but I had problems
> with that too. Can you please tell me how to do this step by step. At this
> point, the only thing I need to share is the printer.
>
> Thank you.

Sanjeev wrote:

> Hi.
>
> I presume you have made sure all the computers are on the same
> workgroup etc and the wireless devices use the same ssid.
>
> Usually the network wizard takes you through all the right steps.
>
> If you have been through all the routine steps, power-cycling the
> router is occasionally all thats needed to fix the problem.
>
> Sometimes
> "a_ryan1972" wrote:
>
>> Hi, I'm running two desktops with XP Professional Service Pack 2.
>> Desktoop A has a cable modem plugged into a wireless router (I'm
>> using an ethernet card to access the internet - the wireless router
>> is to play xbox online in another room) that is plugged into my
>> vonage box which then goes into my
>> computer. I also have a printer hooked up to Desktop A that I would
>> like to
>> print to from Desktop B. Desktop B has a wireless PCI card. Both
>> computers
>> access the internet properly. However, when i try to share the
>> printe, it
>> seems as though the computers can not see each other. I have
>> disabled the
>> firewall on both desktops. Please help. I've tried everything
>> including creating a network which I'm not even sure I had to do, but
>> I had problems
>> with that too. Can you please tell me how to do this step by step.
>> At this point, the only thing I need to share is the printer.
>>
>> Thank you.

Ryan - It is not necessary for computers in a Workgroup situation (as
opposed to a domain) to have the same Workgroup name in order to share
files and/or printers. I assume that when you say "including creating a
network", you mean you ran the Network Setup Wizard. If you didn't,
then please do so. Please give the exact text of any error messages.

Since you can get to the Internet, this isn't a wireless issue per se
but rather one of something set up incorrectly in the lan.
Power-cycling the modem will not be useful. You say you disabled the
firewalls - does that mean you were using only SP2's Windows Firewall?
Do you have a third-party firewall installed? Perhaps Norton AV 2005
which has "Internet Worm Blocking" (a firewall that will interfere with
networking if you are also running the WF).

Here is a network troubleshooter by MVP Hans-Georg Michna. Take the time
to go through it carefully; it will pinpoint the problem area(s):

http://www.michna.com/kb/wxnet.htm

And here are some links to help you with home file-sharing:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...ring/index.htm
(Pro)
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/howto/
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

All the above sounds like very good advise. I have found however that even
when everything is set up as it should be, and 2 networked computers still do
not see each other, power cycling the ROUTER was all that was needed for the
fix. Networking administrators often suggest that you should power cycle the
router intermittently in any case, so turning the router off for 10 seconds
and then on again may save you a lot of hassle (if it works)

Thanks

"Malke" wrote:

> Sanjeev wrote:
>
> > Hi.
> >
> > I presume you have made sure all the computers are on the same
> > workgroup etc and the wireless devices use the same ssid.
> >
> > Usually the network wizard takes you through all the right steps.
> >
> > If you have been through all the routine steps, power-cycling the
> > router is occasionally all thats needed to fix the problem.
> >
> > Sometimes
> > "a_ryan1972" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi, I'm running two desktops with XP Professional Service Pack 2.
> >> Desktoop A has a cable modem plugged into a wireless router (I'm
> >> using an ethernet card to access the internet - the wireless router
> >> is to play xbox online in another room) that is plugged into my
> >> vonage box which then goes into my
> >> computer. I also have a printer hooked up to Desktop A that I would
> >> like to
> >> print to from Desktop B. Desktop B has a wireless PCI card. Both
> >> computers
> >> access the internet properly. However, when i try to share the
> >> printe, it
> >> seems as though the computers can not see each other. I have
> >> disabled the
> >> firewall on both desktops. Please help. I've tried everything
> >> including creating a network which I'm not even sure I had to do, but
> >> I had problems
> >> with that too. Can you please tell me how to do this step by step.
> >> At this point, the only thing I need to share is the printer.
> >>
> >> Thank you.
>
> Ryan - It is not necessary for computers in a Workgroup situation (as
> opposed to a domain) to have the same Workgroup name in order to share
> files and/or printers. I assume that when you say "including creating a
> network", you mean you ran the Network Setup Wizard. If you didn't,
> then please do so. Please give the exact text of any error messages.
>
> Since you can get to the Internet, this isn't a wireless issue per se
> but rather one of something set up incorrectly in the lan.
> Power-cycling the modem will not be useful. You say you disabled the
> firewalls - does that mean you were using only SP2's Windows Firewall?
> Do you have a third-party firewall installed? Perhaps Norton AV 2005
> which has "Internet Worm Blocking" (a firewall that will interfere with
> networking if you are also running the WF).
>
> Here is a network troubleshooter by MVP Hans-Georg Michna. Take the time
> to go through it carefully; it will pinpoint the problem area(s):
>
> http://www.michna.com/kb/wxnet.htm
>
> And here are some links to help you with home file-sharing:
>
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/...ring/index.htm
> (Pro)
> http://www.practicallynetworked.com/howto/
> http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm
>
> Malke
> --
> MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic"
>