Planning for networking to use printers and share internal drives

[jazzisjazz]

I am starting a project to get some printers and pcs on a small home network.

Desktop / XP / multiple harddrives internal
USB laser printer
usb / inkjet 1
usb / inkjet 2
usb / scanner using a driver patch / trick to work with xp

wireless router located nearby

xp laptops / secure internet connection

would like to use any printer with any pc

from what I've read so far

if all of the usb printers are connected to the desktop I should? be able to share drives and printers connected to the desk top through a wired or wireless connection to the desktop from the laptops right?
If correct this should only require a few long usb cables, hardware, to reach the printers from the desktop and maybe an additional pci internal usb card in the desktop if necessary.

Would this work reliably or is there a better way to do it on a reasonable budget ($75) ?

 

[JackMDS]

The is No such thing as shared drivers. The Printer (or printers) that are shared need their Drivers installed on each computer that is expected to use them.

When the drivers are installed on the computer that use the printer through the network you install the drivers through Control Panel/Printers/Add Printer, and choose the add Networked Printer.

Successful Sharing involves some general consideration in Network settings, http://www.ezlan.net/sharing.html

As well as specific adjustment of each computer according to what it is allowed to be shared.

Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://technet.microsoft.com/e.../library/bb727037.aspx

Windows XP File Sharing - http://support.microsoft.com/d...x?scid=kb;en-us;304040

Printer Sharing XP - http://www.microsoft.com/windo...t/honeycutt_july2.mspx

Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357

Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120