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Need help getting laptop to see shared printers...

S

scottws

Senior member
Problem: Trying to allow a laptop PC to access printers shared on a desktop PC.

Ok, on to the network setup:

DSL comes through a Sprint DSL CSU, which is hooked up to a Microsoft MN-500 broadband wireless router. The router is set up to act as a DHCP server as well, and it's network is 192.168.2.0 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

A desktop PC is hooked up to this wireless router via regular Ethernet cable. This is a Windows XP Home PC. It's called "DESKTOP" in a workgroup called "MOREJON." This PC is turned on.

Two printers are hooked up to this PC. A HP Deskjet 960c is hooked up to LPT1. This printer is shared as "HOME_PRINT1." A HP PSC 1500 is hooked up via USB. This printer is shared as "HOME_PRINT2." There seems to be no way to set share permissions. I presume that this is because it is a Windows XP Home box and not Professional. Both printers are turned on.

The laptop runs Windows XP Professonal. It is part of a domain called northamerica.microsoft.com or something like that. The computer name is "ALINATABLET."

I can connect the laptop to the router either via WEP-secured wireless connection (WPA not supported by the laptop's wireless card or the router), or via Ethernet cable and it acquires an IP address via DHCP (currently 192.168.2.6) and can access the Internet with no problems either way.

However, for the life of me I cannot get the laptop to see the shared printers. When you go to "Add Printer" and search for network printers, it does not find any. If you go to "Entire Network" it does not fine the "MOREJON" workgroup. It sees only a network called "Northamerica."

I tried adding a local TCP/IP port on the laptop, but if the printers are assigned IP addresses, I do not know what they are or how to find out.

I even created a VPN connection to the desktop by referring to the desktops internal IP address as assigned by the router (192.168.2.33), and this connection does work. However, even when the VPN is active, the laptop still cannot see any shared printers.

Is there any way to get this domain-associated laptop to see and use the workgroup-associated printers? If so, how do I do this. Keep in mind that it is out of the question to take the laptop out of its current domain state.

Thanks!
 
I should add that File and Printer Sharing is enabled on all connections and is allowed in the Windows Firewall on both PCs.
 
Are you running a firewall on the laptop? If you are, make sure you run the "firewall
s network intergration wizard or utility"

Make sure that you enable file and printer sharing. If you are already, disable it, restart, enable it, and restart again.
 
Well the laptop isn't here now, so I can't mess with it. I assumed it was running Windows Firewall (it's a laptop supplied to a Microsoft employee), but I can't confirm at this time.

Does File and Printer sharing have to be enabled on the laptop as well to use the network printers? If so, I'm pretty sure it's already enabled because the laptop owner had tons of network printers already installed. Again, I cannot confirm at this time because the laptop isn't here presently.

I'm hesitant to run the Network Setup Wizard on the laptop because as I said, it is part of a domain. This is a domain which I do not administer and know nothing about, and I do not want to mess up this domain for the laptop user.

For the desktop PC's (DESKTOP) LAN connection, I unchecked File and Printer Sharing, rebooted. Then I checked it, and rebooted. Then I ran the Network Setup Wizard. I selected the option "This computer connects to the Internet through a residential gateway or through another computer on the network." This was the most relevant option, with the second closest being "Other" and then "This computer connects to the Internet directly or through a network hub. Other computers on the network also connect to the Internet directly or through a hub." I chose not to select the second option since the computer is connecting to a router acting as a gateway to the Internet, not a hub. When the first option is selected, this seems to turn on ICS, which I don't understand. I thought ICS was only if your computer was essentially acting as the gateway for other computers? My personal PC at home (not the desktop PC I'm talking about) is an XP Pro box connected to a router in a similar fashion, and I don't have ICS turned on.

Could ICS be a problem for what I'm trying to accomplish?
 
This is still not resolved. Does anyone have anything to add? Can what I'm trying to do be done without altering the laptop's domain settings?
 
Use UNC paths to install the drivers, make sure the Username/Password you are logging into the laptop with has a corresponding entry on the desktop (i.e. if you username is "scott" pw "test" then on the home box, add that un/pw, log in one time to make sure it's all working). click start-> run, type \\desktop\home_print1 and it should prompt you to install drivers first.
should then be installed just fine.
 
How about adding a tcp/ip port to the existing printers and then to install them on the laptop by adding that tcp/ip port.

You were half way there before, you just needed to add the port on the local printers.
 
I didn't know I had to do that. Thanks. Now... how would I go about doing that? I right clicked on the printer shared as HOME_PRINT1, selected "Properties," and clicked the "Ports" tab. Then I selected "Add Port" | "Standard TCP/IP Port" | "New Port." In the "Printer Name or IP Address" field that comes up in the wizard, I typed "HOME_PRINT1" and it copied itself to the "Port Name" field. I left it as is and clicked "Next."

I received a message stating that the device is not found on the network, but if I was sure the "address" was correct, then I could configure it with a list of standard devices (neither HP printer is in the list) or with a custom setup, which I did not understand at all.

Help!
 
Originally posted by: scottws
I didn't know I had to do that. Thanks. Now... how would I go about doing that? I right clicked on the printer shared as HOME_PRINT1, selected "Properties," and clicked the "Ports" tab. Then I selected "Add Port" | "Standard TCP/IP Port" | "New Port." In the "Printer Name or IP Address" field that comes up in the wizard, I typed "HOME_PRINT1" and it copied itself to the "Port Name" field. I left it as is and clicked "Next."

I received a message stating that the device is not found on the network, but if I was sure the "address" was correct, then I could configure it with a list of standard devices (neither HP printer is in the list) or with a custom setup, which I did not understand at all.

Help!
Click to expand...

This is not going to work, this is a procedure to add a native TCP/IP printer, such as a network laserjet, etc.

 
You are right.

I could have sworn I did that in the past.....nevermind I think this was back when I was using a print server.


Sorry OP.
 
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