[chrismgan]

Hi- I have a WIN2000 computer that has a direct wired (USB) connection to a Samsung ML-1740 printer. I have a laptop that is connected to the WIN2000 computer via a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router. The laptop is an WINXP home OS. I would like to be able to print wirelessly from the laptop to the Samsung printer through the WIN2000 computer. I can't seem to get it going. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

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Both computers have to be set up for "File and Printer sharing"; when that is done, you can simply "Add" a network printer to the Laptop [make sure you're connected to the network]

Since your laptop is XP, there is the possibility that you may need to download updated XP printer drivers to support your laptop's OS.

[kd1966]

Both computers have to be set up for "File and Printer sharing"; when that is done, you can simply "Add" a network printer to the Laptop [make sure you're connected to the network]

Since your laptop is XP, there is the possibility that you may need to download updated XP printer drivers to support your laptop's OS.

[chrismgan]

Hi- Thanks for replying. Both computers are set up for printer sharing. I'm not sure how to set for file sharing. I've added the printer to the laptop, and there is still nothing happening when I try to print. I've also downloaded the latest drivers to the laptop.

Thanks, I've been at this all day !

Chris

[Kurt_Aust]

Not sure if this will work, but it may be worth a try. First delete the printer from your laptop. Then connect the printer to your laptop and install the drivers (and do a test print).

If it works then the drivers are installed correctly. Reconnect the printer to the desktop and install it as a network printer, hopefully XP will recognise that the drivers for that model are already installed and just use them.

[chrismgan]

My desk top computer is WIN 2000 Pro.

Thanks,

Chris

[Thebinaryman]

what happens when you (on the laptop) add a new printer, select network printer, and type: \\[desktop comp name]\[printer name]

does it say it cant find the printer?

[kd1966]

The two ways I have added network printers are:

1 (Preferred method) Go to the Printers/Fax setup on the remote computer and select "Add New Printer", then select "A Network Printer" option [Not a Local Printer], then either type in the path or browse your home network

2 Browse your home network, find the shared printer you want to add/use, and simply "connect" or double-click the printer icon; this method does not set the printer to be the default printing device

[SandyJax]

I don't see where anyone has asked the obvious yet.

Are both PCs set to the same "workgroup"? If so, any resource "shared" by one should be visible to the other.

Next, the ugly stuff: XP/home has a lot of broken networking stuff. I think the idea was that only rich corporations had LANs, and they could afford to buy the full-capability "Pro" version. For example, I've never gotten network printing to work for a DOS app running on XP/home. It's effortless, on XP/Pro. In XP, printer redirection is part of the networking module, and that module just doesn't work in XP/home.

Of course, I may be unfairly maligning MS. SP2 fixed a lot that was broken, in XP/home. Does the Laptop have SP2 installed?

[chrismgan]

Hi- This is where I get lost. The host computer's name is cris and the workgroup is WORKGROUP. I can see both of these on the laptop but the printer won't work. Is there anyway you can walk me through checking to see if both PC's are on the same workgroup ? I am installing SP2 as I write.

Thanks

[SandyJax]

You did it. That's part of the "Windows Networking" thing.. You can see all resources shared by all PCs in your workgroup, and nothing else. If you see the desktop PC in your workgroup, then they are set the same.

(Think of a big company, all on one Ethernet LAN. if all of the Shipping PCs are set to WG="SHIPPING", then they can share printers. Similarly, the "ADMIN" group, the "ACCOUNTING" group, etc - without any trouble).

Caveat: This only works well if there is a Windoze "server" keeping a list of who-shares-what. If you want this to work, NEVER bounce (restart, or shut down then startup) the desktop with the laptop still running. ALWAYS have the laptop down, before bringing the desktop up - and keep the desktop running all the time if you can. Certainly, you want the desktop running before you start the laptop.
All versions of WinDoze will assume the job of maintaining this list, if they come up first, but for some reason only the server versions do a good job of transferring the list.

Next. You are looking at all the PCs in your WG (that's both PCs now). If you double-click on the desktop PC, it should show all resources it is sharing. Maybe some directories, maybe a printer or two.

[SandyJax]

The next crisis: your 2K box will only allow "authorized" people to use the resources you have told it to share. let's assume that it has an Administrator account, and a "Chris" account, with password "nothing"

If your laptop wants to use the 2K's printer, and it says "I'm user "UserName" with password <blank>, the 2K box will refuse the print job. And there is no way to predict what error, if any, your XP/home box will give you.

Verify that you are logged in, on the laptop, with an account that matches an account on the 2K box (which, by the way, should be a member of the Power Users group or you won't be able to cancel print jobs -someone else tell me if the group name is different in 2K).

[chrismgan]

Thanks, but I can't see any resources on the desk top machine from the laptop. If I dbl click on it nothing else shows. When I'm in the Add A Printer Wizard, if I browse for a printer all I get is "WORKGROUP" then CRIS. If I dbl click on CRIS I don't get anything.

[chrismgan]

Thanks, but I can't see any resources on the desk top machine from the laptop. If I dbl click on it nothing else shows. When I'm in the Add A Printer Wizard, if I browse for a printer all I get is "WORKGROUP" then CRIS. If I dbl click on CRIS I don't get anything.

[SandyJax]

Let's back up some. I don't have a 2K box in front of me, so I may not have these directions exact. Go into your Network Properties screen, right-click on your ethernet LAN connection, and select Properties. You should get a list of varuious components of this object: The NIC, plus various software modules. Certainly, you must have TCP/IP or you wouldn't be on the 'net. Surely, you have "Client for Microsoft Networks", or you wouldn't see the workgroup. You also need "File and Printer Sharing"

[chrismgan]

Yes, I have those three things and they're all checked.