having trouble setting up a home network

[razor1]

Hi There,
This is my first post on these forums and i was wondering if anyone could help me.
I am trying to share my printer between my PC (upstairs) and my laptop (downstairs). I connect to the internet via a netgear dg834gt ASDL modem which is wired into the PC, the laptop connect via wireless connection.
Both pc and laptop are on XP home and SP2.
I have tried using the set up wizard in the control panel but it don't seem to wanna know, unless i am doing something wrong that is.

If anyone needs any more info, just post here and i will supply it (if i can).

Many thanks

Razor

 

[David Ireland]

try this...

go to the computer that has the printer installed. Go to start, then go to printers and faxes. (if it isnt there, it can also be found in Control Panel)
Right click on the printer you want to share. Click on sharing. click Share this printer, give it a name, and press ok. Then go to My Network Places. (this can be accessed by typing "My network places" into the address bar of a window.) Then, click on "View workgroup computers" and then double click on the computer WITH THE PRINTER INSTALLED. After doing this, you will see an icon of the printer. Double click on it and it will install.

By the way, for this to work, file sharing has to be set up.

To do this, go to a folder you want to share. Right click on it and go to sharing. Click on the text that says "if you understand the risk...blah blah" then click the text that says something similar to that. Then, click JUST ENABLE FILE SHARING. Then, check both boxes that are in the original window and press ok. (by the way if you dont want to actually share it, leave them unchecked and press ok. The purpose of this was to set up file sharing)

If NONE of that last paragraph made sence, maybe file sharing is already set up.

thats what you would see if file sharing IS set up.

Good luck, if you need clarification on what i said just ask.

 

[razor1]

Thanks for that David, i'll give it a go.

 

[razor1]

what do i need to do to the laptop david please?

 

[David Ireland]

Im assuming the computer is the one with the printer physically connected. If im right, the laptop will need to be connected to the internet and the network. Check to see if it gets internet connectivity. If it does, it's probably on the network too.

So, with the laptop, do what i said....

Then go to My Network Places. (this can be accessed by typing "My network places" into the address bar of a window.) Then, click on "View workgroup computers" and then double click on the computer WITH THE PRINTER INSTALLED. After doing this, you will see an icon of the printer. Double click on it and it will install.

But also, like i said, make sure file sharing is running. Read what i said in my last post, and also http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm

If ya need further help, ill keep checking.

 

[razor1]

i'm still having trouble, when i go to set up network wizard and have to choose my internet connection it says the wizard has found dissconnected hardware (LAN cable not connected), well i have never used it from day 1
as the lappy is wireless, i'm so confused.

 

[David Ireland]

Why are you in the Wizard? The wizard sucks...it screws everything up...

If you are using the wizard you aren't doing it the way i told you when i said..

To do this, go to a folder you want to share. Right click on it and go to sharing. Click on the text that says "if you understand the risk...blah blah" then click the text that says something similar to that. Then, click JUST ENABLE FILE SHARING. Then, check both boxes that are in the original window and press ok. (by the way if you dont want to actually share it, leave them unchecked and press ok. The purpose of this was to set up file sharing)

the "Just Enable File Sharing" option as opposed to the other one was an important part of what I said.

Also, i just thought of something else thats important. You will have to set the workgroup on both PC's. Right click on my computer and go to properties. Click on the computer name tab and click the change button near the bottom. Change the WORKGROUP name to your last name or something else. Do this for both computers.


PS ---> I read over what u said again and caught another detail...if you have a wireless card ANDDD an ethernet card let's disable the ethernet port. Go to Network Connections in Control Panel. Right click on the ethernet connection andgo to disable. You can always enable it again if you need it in the future.
(This MIGHT even help your problem here, but maybe not.)

 

[razor1]

hi David,
i have spent all night trying what you have said and i still can't seem to get it to work, got any more suggestion, or am i doing something totally wrong?

Razor

 

[David Ireland]

This is weird because this is usually a VERY simple thing to do. I've done it for friends in less than 2 minutes so I don't see the problem.

I'd really like to help you, so maybe me seeing the problem a bit more can help. I am going to explain to you, in case you dont know how, to take a screen shot. To take a screen shot, press the key that says Print Scrn Sys RQ (located to the right of the F12 key.) Then, go in to microsoft paint, and paste the image by pressing CTRL+V. Then, you can crop the part of the screen you want bu using the second tool in the toolbox. (the dotted square select tool) Simply select that tool, and drag a box over the part of the screen you want. Press CONTROL + C. Then, start a new Paint window and paste with CONTROL + v. Then go to file, SAVE AS. Save to the desktop and make sure on the "Save As Type" drop down list, choose JPEG. Then visit http://www.imageshack.us to upload your screenshot. Follow the intructions to upload, and paste the DIRECT link of the URL in the forum for me to see. There are many URL's but pick the one that says Direct Link To Image. Then, put that URL in the form surrounded by this (but with no spaces) : [ IMG ] http://blah blah[ /IMG ]

Okay, take screenshots of the following windows, and maybe i can be of more assistance.

1) on the computer with the printer installed, go to Printers And Faxes, located in control panel. Right click on the printer and go to sharing. When the box comes up, send me the screen shot. If SHARING is not on that right click list...tell me.

2) On BOTH computers, go to my computer. Right click on the C drive (your hard drive) and go to properties. Click the sharing tab, and send me the screen shots from both computers.

Thats all I will ask for for now...

*****Note: Remember to describe the screenshot your linking to by telling me what computer it is (either the one with the printer, or the one without)

Good Luck.

ps. If you're gonna give up on this tell me, dont just stop replying. Thanks.

 

[razor1]

i will not give up, i will try and do it tonight