Network Printer Help

[Parkbandit]

WTF.

I looked up how to set up a network printer in my home.. got it working on Vista with no problem.. but WTF, I can't get it set up on XP on my laptop or my other computer.

I've followed the directions 3 times now and it still doesn't work. I fear I may be fucking the damn thing up more than actually accomplishing an end result.

HELP A BROTHER OUT>

[The Ponzzz]

I'd like to see this as well.

I have 3 XP computers in this house and one Vista (this one). I could only pick one or the other to get it to work, so I went with XP OS to have it.

[Gan]

This is what I used to set up my home network. My xp box was set up first (where the printer is connected) then I followed the steps to add the two other laptops to the network and specifically added the shared printer through the printer settings.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/homenet.mspx

[Anebriated]

Used to have this set up at my old apt but I cant recall exactly how we did it. You have to set up the printer on one computer then go into the preferences and allow sharing. Other computers should be able to see the printer if its shared .

[Drew2]

I typed out the following response then realized that Parkbandit may not know what a network printer is. If you're trying to setup network printing (completely different and Gan and Aneb are correct) then ignore this. If you're not computer dumb and actually have a network printer, then the following response applies.

You guys don't understand the purpose of a network printer. A network printer acts independently of the computers on the network. Setting it up the way you're suggesting would mean he would have to have that particular computer turned on anytime he wanted to print, defeating the purpose of a NETWORK printer.

PB, I don't know how technical you are but I'll try and give you basic instructions. If you know the IP address that was given to your printer, from the XP computers follow these steps (this is all from memory, as I don't have a network printer at home to recreate these steps on):

1. Start -> Printers and Faxes
2. Click on Add a Printer on the top left
3. Click Next
4. Select Local Printer attached to this computer and *uncheck* Automatically detect
5. Select Create a New Port and on the dropdown select Standard TCP/IP
6. Click Next
7. Click Next on the new window
8. Enter the IP address of the printer on the first line (the second line will populate automatically) and click Next
9. The next screen *should* pop up asking you for a driver for the printer. I'm assuming you have the disk that came with the printer with the appropriate XP driver. Make sure the disk is in the drive and select "Have Disk" on the bottom right. Direct it to the CD drive (just the root, don't worry about a particular file) and hit OK. It should then pull up a list of the drivers available on that CD.
10. Select whichever is your printer and hit Next or OK (again, this is from memory). It will ask you if you want to set it as a default printer, share it (no), etc. Just hit Next until you can hit Finish and you're pretty much done. It should print a test page to make sure it's set up right.

If you have any problems or whatever... I probably won't check this thread very quickly so I hope you don't.


Edit: Eh what the hell, before I go to bed I'll give basic instructions on how to do what Gan and Aneb are talking about.

If you have the printer physically attached (USB) to a computer and want to share it out, it's retardedly easy. If it's connected to the Vista computer, well then I don't know what to tell you, you're dumb for buying Vista. These instructions might be similar but probably not identical. If it's on an XP machine (and assuming it's installed and usable on that machine):

1. Start -> Printers and Faxes
2. Right click on the printer and click Sharing
3. Select Share this printer and type in a name (Or use the one automatically generated) and hit OK
OMFG UR DONE WITH THIS PART.

To connect another computer, you can use the fag ADD NETWORK PRINTER OMG WIZARD or you can do it the very easy way:
1. Start -> Run
2. type \\<ip address of computer printer is attached to> (Use the two backslashes before it) and hit OK
3. The window that pops up will have the printer attached to the computer. Right click on it and click Connect. (If you do this in Vista, you will have to use a Vista driver, as the XP one associated with the shared printer will not work with it. Again, you're retarded for using Vista.)

YOU'RE DONE.


Edit2: If you do the \\<ip address> and you can't find the other computer, then a firewal somewhere is your problem. Either on the computer you're ON or the computer with the printer. As another note, and I hope this doesn't apply to you, and I hope everyone is paying attention, do not ever fucking buy Norton 360/Internet Security. Fucking ever. Norton *Antivirus* is fine, but any of their suites and other bullshit fucks up your computer more than I can explain. I've had three (3) issues this week alone with clients having it on their computer, their computer is being a douche, I disable Symantec services, and their computer works brilliantly. Fuck Norton 360/Internet Security. It's shit.

[The Ponzzz]

Whoa, thanks Drew. I'm up and running with the laptop now.

[Sean of the Thread]

Drew is on the money. Oddly enough I just had an offer from a Minolta copier man to do tech and repairs. $18 an hour and I told him fuck off.

I don't want to drive all over pinellas county and deal with office retards.

You know they're retards because they paid 15,000 for a fucking copier slash network printer.

[Drew2]

I do shit like this every day of my miserable life. I have the Windows XP Operating system memorized basically. Kill me. =(