Wireless Home Network Problems (Printer Sharing)

Jarandco · 04-01-2006, 14:07

Ive recently purchased a new laptop, and a new wireless router (Linksys WRT54GS). The wireless connection is secured and works perfectly well, the PC is connected to the router via Ethernet cable and again works fine.

The problem i am having is that i wish to share my main printer, connected to the PC via USB with my laptop. Ive managed to get some sort of network connection between the two, but half the time is wont let me to connect to the network i have created, the PC can generally view the laptops contents, but the laptop cant see anything that's on the PC, it can only see itself?

The main problem is getting the laptop to see the PC. Ive tried turning off all the firewalls on both machines, tried leaving just windows firewall on. Ive made sure both are connected to the same work-group, and tried changing the work-group name and i still have the same problem.

I have looked through some older threads, and couldn't seem to find any answers that worked.

Does anyone have any ideas?

danielf · 04-01-2006, 14:11

Can you ping from one machine to the other?

Stuartbe · 04-01-2006, 14:13

Firstly - EVen the windows firewall will create problems. If you are behind a router then there will be no problems with turning them both of.

You do need to be on the same workgroup, Basicaly you need to right click on the laptop printer and select sharing. Depending on the windows version you have you may need to log onto both computers with the same username and password of at least have a valid account in the user accounts list.

See if this is of help to you - http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=16565

HTH

Jarandco · 04-01-2006, 14:31

I sent a ping from the laptop to the PC and it worked fine, although haven't tried it the other way round.

---------- Post added at 14:16 ---------- Previous post was at 14:15 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuartbe

Firstly - EVen the windows firewall will create problems. If you are behind a router then there will be no problems with turning them both of.

You do need to be on the same workgroup, Basicaly you need to right click on the laptop printer and select sharing. Depending on the windows version you have you may need to log onto both computers with the same username and password of at least have a valid account in the user accounts list.

See if this is of help to you - http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=16565

HTH

Both are running windows xp, that doesnt require the same user does it?

The printer is currently set to share, yet it still cant find it.

Thanks for that link, i must have missed it..

---------- Post added at 14:31 ---------- Previous post was at 14:16 ----------

Ive read through that thread, I've followed all the instructions, and still have no luck?

(Is it possible to sort of "delete" these networks and start again from the beginning?)

Also i assume the wireless network set up option in windows xp cant be used, as its only the laptop which has the wireless connection, as the PC is connected to the router?

Jarandco · 04-01-2006, 18:40

After a few more attempts i think that the laptop cannot connect to the PC, as the PC can generally access the laptops folders, but the laptop will not communicate at all with the PC, is there any reason for this? Could it be the router? I have the firewalls turned off on both pc's, all the settings are the same, so there seems to be no reason why it shouldnt work?

---------- Post added at 18:40 ---------- Previous post was at 18:09 ----------

As an update, ive managed somehow to get it working!

I think it was the installation of a new protocol the "NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS-Compatible Transport Protocol " and amazinlgy the laptop managed to find the pc, and now everything works perfectly!

Thanks stuartbe and danielf for your help