Getting my printer hooked into my new network...help

[Monkey34]

My network was a simple one...........cable modem into compuer 1.......out comp.1 into comp 2.........share the printer on comp1.
easy
Now its a little different.
cable modem into wired/less router.........router to comp 1(with printer), router to comp 2. Both are using XPpro sp2. Can I still share this printer? This would be the best option for me right now, but I cant seem to get it working. I know you can buy simple print servers for around $50, but with Christmas coming, moneys short. A second less-desirable option may be to use an old comp as a print server, but my set-up knowledge on this is iffy, and the box would be an old pentium 166/128mb ram.

 

[Axdrenalin]

My network was a simple one...........cable modem into compuer 1.......out comp.1 into comp 2.........share the printer on comp1.
easy
Now its a little different.
cable modem into wired/less router.........router to comp 1(with printer), router to comp 2. Both are using XPpro sp2. Can I still share this printer? This would be the best option for me right now, but I cant seem to get it working. I know you can buy simple print servers for around $50, but with Christmas coming, moneys short. A second less-desirable option may be to use an old comp as a print server, but my set-up knowledge on this is iffy, and the box would be an old pentium 166/128mb ram.

If you're using a network hub / switch now (or wireless, not sure what you meant), and have both systems and the router all hooked into the switch, then it should work. Check to make sure that both computers are on the same IP range (i.e. 192.168.1.x or whatever range you're using), share the printer on PC1, and if you still can't find it by browsing the network, attempt to map it via IP (example: \\192.168.1.x\printersharename).

Ax

 

[LonerVamp]

There are two general ways to get a printer available to two computers. I'll briefly describe both ways.

1) Share the printer. Hook the printer up via the USB or parallel cable to one of your computers. Make sure it all works. Now, go to start->printers and right-click the printer you installed. Find the selection to Share it on the network. On the second PC, browse to your first PC and right click the shared printer (Network Neighborhood). If Windows doesn't find the drivers right away, use the cd that came with the printer (or download from the vendor site).

2) Put the printer on the network. This is what requires a print server, or something that you can plug an ethernet cable into. Once you do this, the printer should grab an IP or use a default one. Check documentation or try to print the config file (again check the manual on how to do that). Once it is set up and you know the IP, add a new printer in Windows on each PC. Make it a Local Printer, but don't let Windows auto-detect it. Instead, add a new TCP/IP port in the Add Printer wizard, and just use the network IP. Finish out the wizard and you're good to go.

Option 1 tends to work best for home users, as the investment is far lower. Option 2 is what businesses should use.

 

[vapb400]

have you run network setup wizard in My Network Places? I have basically the same setup as you and thats all I did, also make sure they are in the same workgroup and you turn on printer sharing (which if you run the wizard automatically turns itself on)

 

[vapb400]

after you run the wizard on both computers go to my network places and you SHOULD see the name of the other computer, double click on that and then double click on the printers, select the printer and it should install drivers and such automatically.