Home networking shared printer fiasco

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:57 pm

OK, here's the deal.

My friend had a XP desktop connected to a wireless router. He was sharing his printer that was connected to desktop. His personal laptop running xp worked fine , used the printer connected to desktop fine.

His company issued laptop running xp also connected to internet fine, but could not find the shared printer.

He got a new desktop running vista basic. He shared the printer and his personal laptop connected fine and found printer no problem.

The company laptop connected to internet fine, but can not find the shared printer. The company laptop does have a different workgroup name, since it is used at work ( a large business) but this had never been a problem before???

How can I get his company laptop to find the shared printer?

TIA

eGoCeNTRoNiX · Post by **eGoCeNTRoNiX** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:12 pm

Is the Firewall enabled on the Vista machine and is the printer hooked up to the vista machine? If it is and firewall is enabled, disable it. Hope that helps!

eGo

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:00 pm

eGoCeNTRoNiX wrote:Is the Firewall enabled on the Vista machine and is the printer hooked up to the vista machine? If it is and firewall is enabled, disable it. Hope that helps!

eGo

Yep, the printer is hooked up to the vista desk machine. I think the firewall is enabled, but why would the personal laptop be able to connect to the printer but not the company laptop? Both laptops are running xp.

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:23 pm

Had to edit orginal post, typo.

Key Keeper · Post by **Key Keeper** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:48 pm

Depending on what network security is set on the vista machine, the printer might not be visible outside of its workgroup.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:27 pm

Vista is a bit of a pain to setup shares on, although if the other XP laptop sees the printer it should be fine.

I'm willing to bet that the company laptop has a 3rd party firewall installed - probably Norton Internet Insecurity. In which case, good luck. You'll have to search their knowledge base for instruciton on how to allow printer sharing through the firewall. I've followed those instructions and half the time it doesn't work.

I don't fight with it anymore. Client wants to share files or printers, Norton has to go.

ZYFER · Post by **ZYFER** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:34 pm

In some cases I have had a computer not be able to find a printer for not specifically good reason. You should be able to just point to where the desktop computer is via IP address as long as you make that static.

Walleye · Post by **Walleye** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:45 am

into windows explorer, type the IP address of the sharing computer. it should show up with a printer. click add printer.