PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: Clive on March 29, 2005, 23:43
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I have 2 identical XP Home computers and both contain network cards. They already share a BB connection and now I would like to go one step further by sharing an Epson Stylus CX3600 printer which is already connected to one of the machines. How difficult a task is this to carry out?
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I would think it's 'simply' a matter of running XPs File and Printer Sharing Wizard, Clive, but you might find this helpful:-
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/10_concept_printer_share.mspx
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It should be straight forward Clive.
When you set the network up did you set it to allow file and printer sharing or just use the router with no file sharing at all ?
If its set up with file and printer sharing then open the printer folder on the pc that its installed on, right click on the printer icon and select the share option.
If its not set up for file and printer sharing then run the network wizard on both pcs again.
Select the option "This computer connects through another pc or a residential gateway" then enable file and printer sharing.
At the end of the wizard select "Just finish the wizard" then run the wizard on the second and subsequent pcs :)
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That will be my task for this afternoon! Thanks very muchio. 8)
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Unsurprisingly, I may need further assistance to get this working. :laugh:
The printer is installed on Machine No.2 and works fine on that. I've right clicked the Epson printer icon to allow sharing. It seems to be called EPSONty.
In "My Network Places" on both machines, it shows both computer "names" which suggests that they are both networked to together for file sharing etc.
Do I need to install printer software or drivers on the two computers because there is no mention of the Epson on computer No.1
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I think you would have to put the software on pc that's not go it on.
I had to do that with my HP printer with other pc.
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In Network Places it should show all the shared folders as well Clive so it may not be set to file and printer sharing. From reading Simons article it would only need the drivers installing on the other pc if it was a different OS, as yours are both on XP then I would have thought it should work without installing again. It wont hurt to try installing the printer again but I think that you will probably need to run the network wizard again on both pcs and choose the file and printer sharing option :)
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Is a "residential gateway" internet connection a fancy name for a router? :roll:
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Yes Clive, just do as I said on my first reply and you should be fine :)
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I've done everything now and it refuses to work! :laugh: I've created file sharing and printer sharing and there are icons on both computers to say that it's activated. I've loaded all the sofwtare too and when I try to print it sends it to the Epson print queue but eventually throws up an error message. :chuckpc:
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I've done everything now and it refuses to work! :laugh: I've created file sharing and printer sharing and there are icons on both computers to say that it's activated. I've loaded all the sofwtare too and when I try to print it sends it to the Epson print queue but eventually throws up an error message.
...which is...? :roll: :pcpunch: :laugh:
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Nothing less exciting than "This document has not printed" :laugh:
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Uninstall the printer and reinstall it as a local printer but shared Clive.
maybe its down as a network printer and doesnt expect it to be sharing a router :?
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Presumably it does the sharing via the ethernet Sandra? I'm not supposed to link the computers together with other cables too? :)
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The ethernet cables and router should work it fine Cive, I dont use my printer much so havent got that on my network but I have set them up on friends networks through a router without any problems :)
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I'll try uninstalling it again this afternoon. Thanks again for the advice.
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Clive, I've never done that before, and have no idea how to do it.
But a little before, accidently, and maybe by chance, I saw an interesting setting wich could be done, and which you can try to see if it'll be for a good use to you:
Go to control panel and open the "Windows firewall" section.
Choose the second tab "EXCEPTIONS"
You'll notice there one option in the list called: "Share files and printer"
Check it and try to see if it works.
Good chance Clive... :)
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That's a particularly interesting and hitherto unknown area of my Windows Joudi and I must thank you for that! Sadly, the box you refer to is already ticked though. As for the printer sharing, I haven't got any further with it. But not for the want of trying I might add! :laugh: The HP610C now refuses to work on my machine despite uninstalling it re-installing it, new drivers etc etc. I am now printerless! Of course the Epson still works on Mrs Clive's computer so I can easily e-mail stuff over to her for printing.
I don't want to take a chance on uninstalling the Epson while Mrs Clive is printing out reams of material for her work so I may leave it until she goes away in a week or so. Since the Epson is so cheap I may just buy another one for my computer but it would have been really nice to have networked them both together all the same!
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I'm sure it must be able to be done, Clive - perhaps you are missing one tiny, but crucial, step? Obviously I can't try it myself, as I only have one PC, but have you tried the instructions in the link I gave earlier?
To get the HP working again, try going into Control Panel > Printers etc, and make the HP your default printer again.
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Yes, I made it the default printer Simon but it doesn't want to know! All it will do is print out the test page. Maybe the Epson software is interfering with it, I'm not sure. But at least I already have half a network working! :lol:
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Yes, I made it the default printer Simon but it doesn't want to know! All it will do is print out the test page. Maybe the Epson software is interfering with it, I'm not sure. But at least I already have half a network working! :lol:
HP printers are the worst at not re-installing Clive. I find that after you uninstall there's lots of files left behind. Do a search and delete all that you find relating to the printer then re-install and see how that goes.
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I cant think what you are doing wrong Clive :?
When you look in "My Network Places" do you see the same icons for the same folders and printers in both pcs ?
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No, they are different Sandra.
On my printer challenged computer it says:
(photo of HDD) c on Clive,
(photo of open file) c on Mrs Clive
(photo of open file) shared docs on Clive
(photo of open file) shared docs on Mrs Clive
On Mrs Clive's machine it's the same but "c on Clive" shows a pic of an open file instead of a HDD.
In printers and faxes on mine it shows one copy each of the epson and HP.
On Mrs Clive's it shows the Epson and a "auto Epson on Clive's computer"
Does any of that make sense? :laugh:
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Theres something wrong there.
It shouldnt show the whole C drive as being shared in network places.
Both pcs should show the same icons as the same network places should be common to both pcs :?
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Hmmmmmm...... :hammer:
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I've found an excellent troubleshooting website:
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article64-page1.php
I've checked everything down as far as part 4 which gets a bit too complicated for me! :laugh:
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The only thing thats relevant in that lot really Clive is section 2.
Make sure that the firewall isnt ticked in ICS :(
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The firewall is ticked Sandra but printers are excepted as in Joudi's post. Would I be better off unticking the firewall altogether?
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Yes, its definately a possible cause of your problem Clive :)
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I've tried disabling the firewall but to no avail. Time to give up I think! :laugh:
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Never say die Clive.
When MrsClive has done everything she needs we can try again :)
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Never say die, Clive! There must be a simple solution to this. :rtfm: :susp: