Problems sharing printer through network

[memory]

Let me see if I can explain this clear enough. A family member is having trouble sharing their Canon i560 printer through the network. The printer is hooked up to a desktop which is running Windows XP. He wants to be able to print wirelessly to that printer from two different laptops which are both running Windows Vista.

The printer is shared on the desktop but neither laptop can see the printer. One problem is I can not turn on printer sharing in the Network and Sharing Center on either laptop. I am not able to select either option.

After trying a few different things, I found some odd things. On the desktop, I ran the setup a wireless network option. When I choose what type of connection it has, which is the first option(directly connected), and it says it could not be completed.

I also done the same thing on both laptops and they both said "detected network hardware but could not automatically apply settings."

When I open up the shared computers page on either laptop, it shows all three computers but can not access the desktop.

All the computers are the same workgroup.

Is this just a communication problem between XP and Vista? What are some things I could try? He thought about buying a wireless AIO printer but I would be worried the same thing would happen.

 

[Tsaico]

It could be a few things.

1. The first is your computers should be on the same workgroup. (check)
2. The next thing is to turn off your Vista firewall temporarily to make sure it is not this that is keeping your from talking. 3rd party firewalls do not get modified by Windows when you turn on sharing to allow SMB and Printer traffic through.
3. Make sure your desktop can actually print to the printer before you are sharing anything.
4. Try from a laptop to ping the name of the desktop, if you do not get a reply, you must first find the problem with the sharing aspect. If you do, try putting in the name of the computer in a Run window. \\computer_name is the correct format with BACK slashes.

 

[memory]

2. I will check the firewall. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Now I am thinking that maybe the problem.

3. The printer works fine on the desktop. I could be wrong on this but I believe they even hooked up the laptop to the printer and printed stuff.

4. How do I go about pinging the name of the desktop?

 

[JackMDS]

The printer sharing has to configured correctly on the computer that it physically connected to.

Then you have to install the printer's OS driver s on any other computer that use it through the Add a network configuration.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/12246/share-a-printer-on-your-network-from-vista-or-xp-to-windows-7/

Please Note that XP can not work on Win 7 HomeGroup so if Win 7 is involved it has to be configured as regular Work/Private Network.

Giving AIOs current prices there is No reason to share via single computer.

AIO printer are usually Network printers.

I.e., they connect to the Router and every computer on the Network can print to them regardless of other computers.

When using Network ready printer the best way is to read and use the software that come with the Printer.

Example of a good choice - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828102693

 

[memory]

JackMDS, I went through that article and I have done what they said to do. The problem is the printer does not show up when I search for it. What do you mean by the printer's OS driver? Are you talking about the OS that the printer is attached too? I have not tried the alternate method since I didn't think that would work.

I don't know if this is true but I have read in a few places that with XP, you need to have password protected accounts for sharing too work. I have never had to this this on our computers that ran XP.

I have tried installing additional drivers through the printer's sharing tab since there are different OS's involved but Vista was not on the list.

Until I go look at his setup again, I am almost certain the problem is the firewall, at least I hope. I don't know why I didn't think to check that the first time.

He is really considering buying an AIO wireless printer but I am not sure that would solve the problem. Before they would buy one, I would like to get this problem figured out.

 

[JackMDS]

Sharing Printer is part of the general networking capacity. If the computers are Not configured correctly to be on the same network it will Not work.

If you do not want to establish user accounts and passwords and LAN security is Not that important, enable the guest accounts.
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Vista File and Printer Sharing- http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

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

In Win XP Pro with simple sharing Off, you can Visually see the Permission/Security setting , and configure them to your liking.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/learnmore/accesscontrol.mspx#securityTab
Printer Sharing XP - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx

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

Windows XP patch for Sharing with Vista (Not need for XP-SP3) - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922120


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Permission and Security issues with Vista/Win7, check the following settings.
All users that are allowed to share need to have account on all the computers that they are allowed to connect to.
Everyone is an account, it means a group of all of the users that already have an account and been established as users.
Using the Everyone feature saves the need of configuring permission to each of the established users, it does not mean Everyone that feel that they would like to login.
Users that do not have an account on the computer are Not part of the Everyone Group.
If security on the LAN is Not needed and users are Not established, then switching On the Guest account provides semi-open configuration.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Turn-the-guest-account-on-or-off
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Point to the a Folder that meant to to be share. Right click and choose properties.
In the properties
Click on the Security tab shown in the pic bellow to the right) and check that the users and their permission (shown in the pic bellow center and left) are correctly configured. Then do the same to the Permission tab.
This screen shot is from Win 7, Vista's menus are similar.

http://www.ezlan.net/Win7/Permission-Security.jpg

In both the Security panel, and the Permission panel you have to highlight each User/Group and examine that the Permission Controls are checked correctly.
When everything is OK, Reboot the Network (Router, and computer).
* Note . The Groups and Users shown in the screen-shoot are just an example. Your list will look the way your system is configured.
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When finished with the setting of the system it is advisable to Reboot all the hardware including the Router and all computers involved.

 

[pete1229]

I know this isn't an answer to your problem, but with Windows 7, Microsoft made this entire procedure very simple with the work GROUP option within the network and sharing center, only problem is it is for now at least, exclusive to Windows 7, now if there is a work around that for Vista, I'm not sure, and XP is probably not an option at all.

 

[memory]

I have gone through the guides posted and it seems that I have everything like it should be but I am still having trouble.

If I am on one laptop, I can see the other laptop fine. But I can not see the desktop which has XP from either laptop.

I have checked the firewall and made sure the file and printer sharing is allowed.