Wireless connection to a printer

AlleyCat

AlleyCat

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I am just now in IT, so I have a long ways to go to learn about networking. Here's my question: My roommate upstairs has a direct connection to the internet via Comcast cable router. I have the wireless connection downstairs. All is working fine. He'd like to know if he can send something to my printer (as it's hooked up to my computer and he does not have a printer.) This is an older printer, one without wireless capabilities as most come with nowadays. Is it possible for him to send something to my printer from his own computer?
 
Yeah, he can. All you have to do is share your printer. Assuming you are using the same router and sharing the same connection.

I assume you're on windows XP - what you need first is your pc name, right click on my computer, go to properties > Computer name > should have your full computer name and workgroup.

note that down, then go to control panel > printers. Find your printer in there, right click it and then click "Sharing".

Click on "Share this printer", name whatever else you want, hit ok.

Go to your roomie's computer.
click on start, go to run
type in the name of your pc with two backslashes.
Ie: \\alleycat or \\pcname

if you guys are networked properly, you'll see your printer listed once that opens.
Go to control panel > printers on your roomie's PC.
drag your printer from that window, to your friend's printers list.
It may ask to install files, do so.

After it's done, then you're set. Whatever he prints, he should have the option of selecting your printer on the network.

This is pretty much the basic rundown, if you need further assistance do let us know.
 
You are a charm, Naisho.

However, the 2nd part didn't work. After typing in the name of my computer with the \\, I got prompted for a username and password. Didn't know what to make of that as he doesn't use one, neither do I. So what would go in here? I just clicked on "cancel" and went to check the printer listing, mine isn't there ... Any clues ?
 
Yes, this is easiest and fastest and cheapest way to go. But there is another way around, you could buy printer server that is attached to your printer and it hooks up with Ethernet. This is more reliable than this quick and cheap method. Whats pro for printer server over printer sharing? The answer is obviously, whenever your computer is off, your roomate will be unable to print out while with printer server can be done even with computer being down.


naisho said:
Yeah, he can. All you have to do is share your printer. Assuming you are using the same router and sharing the same connection.

I assume you're on windows XP - what you need first is your pc name, right click on my computer, go to properties > Computer name > should have your full computer name and workgroup.

note that down, then go to control panel > printers. Find your printer in there, right click it and then click "Sharing".

Click on "Share this printer", name whatever else you want, hit ok.

Go to your roomie's computer.
click on start, go to run
type in the name of your pc with two backslashes.
Ie: \\alleycat or \\pcname

if you guys are networked properly, you'll see your printer listed once that opens.
Go to control panel > printers on your roomie's PC.
drag your printer from that window, to your friend's printers list.
It may ask to install files, do so.

After it's done, then you're set. Whatever he prints, he should have the option of selecting your printer on the network.

This is pretty much the basic rundown, if you need further assistance do let us know.
Click to expand...
 
he needs access to your computer in order to access your network credentials, so yeah you gotta get an user/pass set.
to figure out your username/password:

Click start on your PC, go to run > type in control userpasswords2
in there should have the names of the users on your pc.
You may have a bunch of users listed in here, if you don't have your own username in here then use Administrator. I'm guessing you have autologin enabled, so you don't have to bother with the user groups on starting up.

If you don't know your user password, or don't have one, you can reset it here, OR create a new user solely for your roomie only.

To change an existing password:
right click my computer > go to management
tab up + Local Users and Groups
Right click on the user you want to reset the password, follow the instructions and acknowledge the warnings.

after you get the password down, go back and input it in on your roomie's pc.

To create a new user:
right click in the white area, you'll see the option to create a New User.

If you created a new user, your PC probably won't autologin anymore, so you have to go back to control userpasswords2 and set a default user to login with.

and yep ^ DHB stated exactly about what I didn't mention: When your PC is off, your roomie won't be able to print. The downside is that your pc must be on at all times in order for him to print on your printer. If he wants to be able to print with your PC off, you have to purchase a print server.
 
You TRULY are a charm, Naisho.

I did what you said, and it WORKS like a charm! :)

(My hard drive died about a month ago, I had to hire someone to fix it and after installing a new hard drive, he re-installed all my software for me and created the computer name and I guess he must've set it as an auto-login so I did create a password just like you said above. I am still learning as I go along.)

Thank you so much!
 
Don't mention it, it is all for the greater good.
Though, I learned IT + Network + support was NOT what I wanted to do for a living, from my last employer.
 
naisho said:
Don't mention it, it is all for the greater good.
Though, I learned IT + Network + support was NOT what I wanted to do for a living, from my last employer.
Click to expand...

same here. I don't intend to stay as webmaster/web developer either. :cool2:
 
naisho said:
Don't mention it, it is all for the greater good.
Though, I learned IT + Network + support was NOT what I wanted to do for a living, from my last employer.
Click to expand...

What was it that you didn't like?
 
AlleyCat said:
What was it that you didn't like?
Click to expand...

dull. boring. repetitive. tiresome. petty. insignificant. low level. unappreciated. mediocre pay. no hot colleagues.
 
I've been a PC junkie kid since I was in like elementary school, messing with the old computers since the 80's.
So I picked up a lot of stuff from then until now, mostly on my own.

Then in 2006, after I graduated with a bachelors, I took a nosedive straight into the corporate PC world.
At first I was put into the lower level stuff, you know, like data entry, excel, QA management, etc. Stuff that's boring yet you'll never finish the paperwork.

Then I moved on over to a major software company, or should I say a software company that has complete monopoly over its division of customers. Its main bread and butter was an auto collision estimation software, for estimating costs to repair, graphical car datasheets and such on. They had everything you could think of relating automobile to a PC. They monopolized the car customization/repair industry, kind of like how Microsoft Windows is the powerhouse.

From there on in that company, for about 1.5 years I did IT Networking, Support, anything ranging from fixing problems over the phone, new client PC setups, software installation, etc just basically anything people have problems with on their PCs plus the other concerns with the software I worked with. Got some pretty good $ while I was there for one.

What I picked up in a nutshell:
- people can be an ass
- the customer is always right (or you lose $)
- sometimes, it's hard to convince people that what they did, or they're at fault (stubbornness)
- some people are short on patience
- the job can get tiring, and overtimes due to adapting to new client concerns

The list can grow on, but these are the things I picked out the most from it. Granted, I did have some high tech cool opportunities like working with Lexus and Honda repair facilities, Exotic european car places like Alfa Romero/Porsche/Laborginis, etc. But in the end, its the work that got to me.

I looked at myself, and said, can I see myself handling and doing this when I'm 50?
The answer was, nope.

So yeah, now I'm going for a new degree elsewhere!
 
I have printer set for network print sharing. I had no problem using it quickly. I was surprised that you had to use password to log in to use printer. The reason why password popped up cuz the client system wasn't on or not set up for file/print sharing (all do not have password setup). I had to setup laptop and pc to share file/print then set one printer to basment system as a print server.

What I really I wanted is a wireless USB print server or a printer that have ethernet jack hook up in back. There are few routers that have USB for printer. Be sure that wireless printserver is USB 2.0 ready and printer must be compatible with it. Some old USB printer don't work so It's best to review before you purchase. There are bunch of these in Ebay. (search under Wireless Printer server or Wireless printserver). So that you don't have to leave "print server" PC running all the time. Sometime power outage or hardware crash leaving you to fix that damn thing which is a pain!

I used to have dedicated print server PC (old Hp Pavilion 450mhz system) which is called "headless and inputless" print server that once it's set up, I just simply power it on and forget it with printer and ethernet hooked to it, no monitor, mouse and keyboard plugged into it.. But in less than a day, it failed. I investigated why it crashed, it turned out that it's the weenie 60watt power supply can't handle constant use and I did swap to 200 watt power supply and it still fails due to hardware. Boy I have a crappy Hp system and gave it up and hooked up to Althon system that I do not want it to run 24/7. Whenever my family or I want to print, I had to go down and power on Althon system in order to get it print. Sometime we just print anyway and it was in queries until Althon powered up later in the day and printer started to print as soon as it's settle to desktop :lol:

I used to have Ubuntu as printserver for all Windoz. It was a bit complicated and technicial cuz I had to "fool" my Windoz system to install driver for networked printer then switch from Windoz to Ubuntu print server in order to get it working. Mine is a HP PSC 2175 All In one printer. It sucks to own one that have complicated driver issue. I hate HP for it. It ran fine until I updated Ubuntu to Hardy, I found out it no longer have easy printer network setup!! I'm sure the next Ubuntu version will fix the plm. Many Ubuntu Hardy user complained it's complicated to setup network printer than Gusty Gibbon or older version. Sometime my network went funk and Ubuntu or Windoz lost it's connection and refuse to restore! I had to reinstall XP to get it up and running right.

My cat always go crazy over printer. When printer start to print, she ran to printer in a big hurry. She squats and stuck her head nearly inside of printer and move its head as fast as printer head moves. she didn't care about paper spit out and crumbled on her. Stubborn cat! :rofl:

Catty
 
I have Windows Server 2003 and 2008 on a separate computer used for server purposes.

For sharing a non-network printer from my server to my desktop and laptop, all I did was this:

- Make sure that your server and workstation are connected to a network device, e.g. a router or switch.
- Find, download, and install the appropriate printer driver on the server.
- Connect the printer USB cable to the server.
- After printing a test page, go to the Windows Setup CD (for 2003) to install the "Internet Printing" component, then go to the Server Manager to add and configure the Print Server. For 2008, just install the Print Services role, then click what components you need, and that's it - don't even need the setup DVD (yes, literally - 2008 is a huge improvement over 2003).
- Go to the Network icon in Windows XP/Vista (or 7 Beta) and wait for the computers to show up in the workgroup (or domain, but that requires Active Directory), then find the server computer. Make sure you know what address (i.e. \\SERVER\ServerAdmin\Printer or something to that) you'd need for the next step.
- Under XP/Vista, go to Printers folder and then Add Printer. Once you see the Network printer option, select that, then Browse to Network Places, then when it finds the server, log in the server using the credentials from the server's user account, go to the Printer folder and select the printer intended for sharing. Once the shared printer's *in* the Printers folder in XP/Vista, right-click and set as default.
- Print a test page from the workstation and make sure it works. If it passes, congrats!
 
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