Printing and file sharing over a wireless network

I have 3 computers on a wireless network (Linksys 802.11b), and while
printer and file sharing sometimes works, it often fails. Two of the
machines (including the one with the printer) are XP, the other one is ME.
None of the machines are directly connected to my access point so all
communication goes over the wireless network. I have searched websites and
archived articles and can't find anything that seems to describe the problem
exactly or fix it. and would appreciate any suggestions. Here are the
details:

I have set up all machines to run file and printer sharing over TCP/IP,
which seemed to improve it a bit but didn't fix it. When I print off the ME
machine, I get one of the following behaviors:

1) Application hangs for a while and then tells me the printer isn't
available and offers to spool locally.

2) Application starts spooling, and becomes responsive, but some time
later I get an error window saying the printer isn't available and I should
contact my network administrator. (Well, that's me too, and I can't fix it!)

3) Application simply hangs and never returns.

I should emphasize that sometimes it prints correctly.

When I try to access shared files over this same link from either machine (I
have several folders on each machine), I get similar behavior. Sometimes it
works, sometimes it just hangs up and never comes back. Sometimes it claims
the network or the file isn't available.

I do not have any problems of this sort going from any of the machines to my
cable modem (web browsing, email, etc.) which is directly connected to the
wireless access point. I strongly suspect some problem related to getting
transmission errors over the wireless link and not having the file/printer
sharing software recover properly.

--
Warren Montgomery (E-Mail Removed) (
http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )

www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm

Carey

"warren montgomery" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:N7GdnQmdSY-a3yOiRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have 3 computers on a wireless network (Linksys 802.11b), and while
> printer and file sharing sometimes works, it often fails. Two of the
> machines (including the one with the printer) are XP, the other one is ME.
> None of the machines are directly connected to my access point so all
> communication goes over the wireless network. I have searched websites
and
> archived articles and can't find anything that seems to describe the
problem
> exactly or fix it. and would appreciate any suggestions. Here are the
> details:
>
> I have set up all machines to run file and printer sharing over TCP/IP,
> which seemed to improve it a bit but didn't fix it. When I print off the
ME
> machine, I get one of the following behaviors:
>
> 1) Application hangs for a while and then tells me the printer isn't
> available and offers to spool locally.
>
> 2) Application starts spooling, and becomes responsive, but some time
> later I get an error window saying the printer isn't available and I
should
> contact my network administrator. (Well, that's me too, and I can't fix
it!)
>
> 3) Application simply hangs and never returns.
>
> I should emphasize that sometimes it prints correctly.
>
> When I try to access shared files over this same link from either machine
(I
> have several folders on each machine), I get similar behavior. Sometimes
it
> works, sometimes it just hangs up and never comes back. Sometimes it
claims
> the network or the file isn't available.
>
> I do not have any problems of this sort going from any of the machines to
my
> cable modem (web browsing, email, etc.) which is directly connected to the
> wireless access point. I strongly suspect some problem related to getting
> transmission errors over the wireless link and not having the file/printer
> sharing software recover properly.
>
> --
> Warren Montgomery (E-Mail Removed) (
> http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )
>
>

"Carey Holzman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm
>
> Carey
>
I've visited your page, and it seems to cover basic setup. One thing that
puzzles me is that your page suggests installing IPX/SPX, while others have
specifically told me to avoid this protocol. In any case I don't think
that's my problem. Everything works -- sometimes. My problem seems to be
that the file and printer sharing software does not recover well from
errors, so if information is lost or corrupted over the wireless network it
won't recover and quits. All the computers report signal strength as "good"
or "excellent", but that doesn't seem to matter much.

I'm wondering:

a) Are there known problems and work arounds with File and printer sharing
running over TCP/IP not recovering from errors?
b) Is there anything that can be done in configuring TCP/IP or the wireless
network to reduce errors?

--
Warren Montgomery (E-Mail Removed) (
http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )

What kind of errors, specifically?

IPX is recommended for security (for those not running routers) and is used
a diagnostic.

My page is not intended as a HOW-TO INSTALL a network instructions. It's a
HOW-TO REPAIR a network.

IPX can be a great network diagnostic tool. Don't worry about what other
people told you. If what they said was right, your network would be working,
right?

Carey



"warren montgomery" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:w7WdnUSKXufT7V-(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Carey Holzman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > www.careyholzman.com/netfixes.htm
> >
> > Carey
> >
> I've visited your page, and it seems to cover basic setup. One thing that
> puzzles me is that your page suggests installing IPX/SPX, while others
have
> specifically told me to avoid this protocol. In any case I don't think
> that's my problem. Everything works -- sometimes. My problem seems to be
> that the file and printer sharing software does not recover well from
> errors, so if information is lost or corrupted over the wireless network
it
> won't recover and quits. All the computers report signal strength as
"good"
> or "excellent", but that doesn't seem to matter much.
>
> I'm wondering:
>
> a) Are there known problems and work arounds with File and printer
sharing
> running over TCP/IP not recovering from errors?
> b) Is there anything that can be done in configuring TCP/IP or the
wireless
> network to reduce errors?
>
> --
> Warren Montgomery (E-Mail Removed) (
> http://home.att.net/~wamontgomery )
>
>