Networking & wireless: Connecting printer to network
Connecting printer to network
by gp84rules - 4/14/07 5:07 PMI am going to create a network between 3 Windows XP PC's. The computers connect to the internet through a modem. Computer A connects to the modem with a wire. Computers B & C connect wirelessly with a USB network adapter.
I want to connect a printer currently connected only to computer A to the entire network. What adapter should I buy? The printer has 1 free USB port.
Share the printer or get a print server
by linkit - 4/14/07 6:49 PM In reply to: Connecting printer to network by gp84rulesFree: Keep the printer connected to A, and SHARE the printer on your network. For B and C to send print jobs to the printer, computer A must be on.
Not free: Research what PRINT SERVERS are compatible with your printer model. The print server may be a wired or wireless model. You atttach the printer to the print server, and then you connect the print server to your router.
ASIDE: When you wrote that the "computers connect to the internet through a modem," I assume that you have a wireless router or your "modem" is actually a combination modem-wireless router.
You assumed right
by gp84rules - 4/14/07 7:16 PM In reply to: Share the printer or get a print server by linkitMy "modem" is a wireless router.
Another question about setting up my network
by gp84rules - 4/14/07 7:20 PM In reply to: Connecting printer to network by gp84rulesI already said how my computer connects to the network ("3 Windows XP PC's. The computers connect to the internet through a modem. Computer A connects to the modem with a wire. Computers B & C connect wirelessly with a USB network adapter.")
Which wizard(s) do I use to create the network?
Network Setup Wizard
by linkit - 4/14/07 7:33 PM In reply to: Another question about setting up my network by gp84rulesThis may be accomplished without a wizard, but Network Setup Wizard (in Control Panels) will help to get you there.
- Run Network Setup Wizard on all computers.
- Give all computers exactly the same WORKGROUP NAME.
- Share files and printers
- You don't have to create a disk at the end of the wizard--just finish.
- Reboot router and all computers
- Open your Printers window
- Add new printer. Find your shared printer.
Firewalls are common problems for file and printer sharing. Usually you must tell the firewall a "trusted range of IP addresses" or a "trusted network" for all computers to be able to communicate with one another. What firewall are your computers running? Norton Internet Security, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, Windows Firewall?
You can also share or unshare a folder or printer by right clicking on that folder or printer. Just make sure all computers have the same Workgroup name.
clarification
by linkit - 4/14/07 7:37 PM In reply to: Network Setup Wizard by linkitThe step in which I wrote "Open your Printers window" needs clarification. When you restart your computers, B and C may not show the printer in the Printers window. If that is the case, select Add Printer in the Printer window of B and also C. Keep double-clicking through your network until you find computer A and its printer.
Disconnected Hardware
by gp84rules - 4/15/07 6:47 AM In reply to: Network Setup Wizard by linkitIs it a problem that when I ran the network setup wizard on computer B that it only found disconnected hardware (LAN)? It didn't list my wireless network adapter.
Network Setup Wizard didn't work
by gp84rules - 4/15/07 7:26 AM In reply to: Network Setup Wizard by linkitHow do you set up the network without using the "network setup wizard"? Computer C can't access Computer A at all (it "does not have permission to access that network resource"). Computer A can't even see computer C. Can I setup the network without using the wizard?
Yes. It's done manually many times.
by R. Proffitt
- 4/15/07 7:30 AM
In reply to: Network Setup Wizard didn't work by gp84rules
The wizard is a dunce. It has no idea about firewalls and is clueless to tell the owner to create accounts on machine, etc.
To save me from typing the things that need to be done, here's a prior back and forth where we worked through this discussion. The member wasn't clear they wanted to work the issue and at first I thought we were slapping the wizards around.
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6122_102-0.html?forumID=44&threadID=198031&messageID=2129068
Bob
Update: printer sharing worked
by gp84rules - 4/15/07 7:36 AM In reply to: Network Setup Wizard didn't work by gp84rulesI don't know how, but the printer sharing worked. Computer C can now print to Computer A's printer. That part worked.
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