Wireless printing/router setup help please.

[JaKaAch]

I have been using a wired desktop for years.
A few weeks ago I bought a laptop that included a router. I can get the router up and running so I can use the laptop through the wireless network for internet access, but I have been trying for a couple days now to get the printer and the laptop to work wirelessly..

I need help, I can't figure it out.

The desktop is a XP machine, the laptop uses Vista OS.
The router is a Dlink..Printer is a Canon.

Thanks in advance gorillas..

Jeff

[RGD]

Assuming that you have the printer connected to the router correctly - the easiest way is to run your printer install disk on each machine and tell it during the setup that you are connecting through the network. Depending on the age of the printer you may need to download new drivers/setup disk for the Vista laptop.



Ron

[JaKaAch]

Originally Posted by RGD

Assuming that you have the printer connected to the router correctly - the easiest way is to run your printer install disk on each machine and tell it during the setup that you are connecting through the network. Depending on the age of the printer you may need to download new drivers/setup disk for the Vista laptop.



Ron

Maybe thats the problem, the printer is connected to the desktop. The router does not have any USB ports.
I did install the printer driver on the laptop, and it shows up on the laptop as a available printer.

[mikeyp4]

I had the exact problem trying to share a printer connected to an XP desktop, with a vista laptop. First thing is to ensure that printer sharing is enabled on both the laptop and desktop. On the laptop go to the start menu > network > network and sharing and ensure that printer sharing is on and password protected sharing is off. If you're able to see the printer on the network but not use it that could be the problem. There seemed to be alot of problems with sharing between XP and Vista when I was setting mine up, I thought that MS would have fixed it by now (big shock there). Another option is if your router has a print server you can try to connect the printer directly to that.

BTW Some of the fixes I found while I was trolling for answers a few months ago suggested editing the registry on either the Vista machine, XP machine or both. That is not necessary and could potentially damage the computer.

Sorry for the long post. Keep us informed on how you make out, If I remember anything else that I did I will post it.

[MikeyC]

It may have been overkill, but I bought one of these:

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=3765022279B77

It hooks up between the router and the printer. I installed the software that comes with it and I was good to go. The only problem is that I lost the two-way communication between printer & PC. I was only able to send print jobs, but I could not get error messages back from the printer.

Recently, I upgraded to an . . .[SIZE=2]HP Officejet Pro L7780 Color All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier[/SIZE]

It has built in wireless and works much better than my old printer/print server combination.

[mikeyp4]

I just remembered...What Anti Virus are you running. I seem to think that I was running Norton and that might have been the problem. I shifted to McAfee and the printer worked after that. I tried so many different things at the time I can't know for certain exactly which one worked. But the switch from Norton to McAfee definitely made my laptop run faster.

[replicant_argent]

bluetooth dongle on the printer? That might get around the antivirus issue.
Shrugs. I was debating doing that here as well, since our laptops have bluetooth, I never even considered that our printer may have a wireless function also..

[JaKaAch]

I have the laptop and printer working together now.
On the laptop, click on start, right side column, fifth from the bottom is a button "network".
Click that network button and there are all the computers and devices on the network. Double click on the desktop computer and there is the printer. Make it the default printer and BANG it all works now..

I also un-installed Norton. I don't know if that help get the printer working or not but the trial subscription was about over so I got rid of Norton.

Thanks for the help gorillas.

[mikeyp4]

Glad to hear you got it all working. Just a few more tips. Ensure that your network is secured this will prevent anyone with wireless capabilities from printing on your printer and wasting your ink and paper <spoken from experience>. And now that Norton's is gone do you have any anti-virus protection. It would be a good idea to get something to protect your computer(s). I'm no expert on computers, but I have made plenty of mistakes in the past. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.