[mrh55]

My personal laptop (XP) networks perfectly at my office - I connect via wireless network - file sharing, printer sharing ... it all works!

Dilema de jour - we now have 2 laptops at home (#2 is XP Pro). My laptop is the one connected to the printer at home. Can I set up a second "network place" on my laptop (#1) so that #2 laptop can share #1 printer?

I hesitate because I want to keep my office networking intact, but I really would like to share my printer at home with my daughter.

Thank you.

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are both networks workgroups?...to my knowledge you can't belong to two networks (like actual workgroup or domain networks..not just plugging PC's in to wires) at the same time....you might wanna look into getting a print server to connect the printer to at home...that way anyone needing that printer won't need to rely on your laptop being there...they're rellatively inexpensive and sound like exactly what you need

[dsenette]

are both networks workgroups?...to my knowledge you can't belong to two networks (like actual workgroup or domain networks..not just plugging PC's in to wires) at the same time....you might wanna look into getting a print server to connect the printer to at home...that way anyone needing that printer won't need to rely on your laptop being there...they're rellatively inexpensive and sound like exactly what you need

[mrh55]

Thank you for saving me from a futile effort - I won't try to set up another network

So, now, how do I find a "print server"? Are they available at my local big-box store? Is this easy to do?

Many thanks!

[dsenette]

yeah...they're available pretty much anywhere that sells computer hardware...basically it's a network card for your printer...it will allow your printer to have an IP address...so you install the printer in such a way (your printer has instructions on how to do this and the print server has instructions for setting itself up) that it prints to that ip instead of to your LPT or USB port...

[mrh55]

Great - I'll try that! And thanks for your help!