Sharing printers

What I want to do is easy, according to online help and Windows 2000 for Dummies. Only problem is it just plain doesn't work!

I have 2 desktops and 2 laptops, all Win2000, through a wireless router. I want to make the desktop printers available to the laptops. So I share the printers to everybody, and they are not visible. All computers have nobody on the network, yet all think they are on a workgroup (named Workgroup, since I have no idea how to change the name).

My guess is that I need to create a peer to peer network. The Microsoft knowledge base has elaborate articles on trouble shooting heterogeneous peer to peer, but how about just establishing a SIMPLE local network, or what ever it takes to make share work?

 

I have done this many times, so I know it works. Each system needs to be in the same workgroup, you have already said they are so that shouldn't be a problem. You can change the workgroup name by right clicking on my computer and choose properties. Then on the Computer Name tab will allow you to change it.
Next share your printer. I presume that you already know how to do this, if not, let me know.
Then you need to map the printer on the other systems. You do this through the same add printer wizard, but instead of local, choose network. The location will on the system that has the printer.
You should also be able to browse the network neighorhood and find the printer on the other system.
If you find yourself not being able to browse the network, make sure that Computer Browser and Server Service are started on the system with the printer.
Then make sure the workstation and computer browser service is started on the other systems.

 

It's clear you understand, so let me follow your reply in sequence.

I'm fairly sure all machines have the same workgroup name, because I never did anything to change it. So I assume by default there is a workgroup named "Workgroup" and that all machines would find one another.

Printers are shared - they're even marked that way.

But I can't map, because no printers are found on the network. I think the key is further down.

Those services that must be turned on (way over my head here) must be the problem. Since I also have 2000 here at the office, I was able to find computer browser and workstation services, but did not find server service; I'll look for it when I get home. I assume that starting them will be straightforward and that once the connection is made they can be shut off.

I certainly appreciate your help. That "Dummies" book goes back to the bookstore this evening.

 

Let me add a bit to what Bursley posted. Some of this you probably have already done but it all needs to be. I'll assume you are running TCP/IP but if not, post back because the same things can be done with IPX or NetBeui - just a couple of minor differences.

• Each PC must have a different computer name. No spaces in the name and all alpha-numeric characters except that you can use a - (dash) or _ (underscore) if you want.
• Each PC must have the same workgroup name. You can change it in the same place as you put in the Computer name although Workgroup is fine if they all have that one.
• Each PC must have a user log on with username and Non-Blank password.
• Unless you are using the exact same username/password to log on to all PCs (and case sensitive so an exact match), you must do one of the following on each PC:
  1. Enable the Guest account or
  2. Add each username/password to the local users section. This is my preference as it gives you more options and allows for lots more security/access control.
• In the network properties, make sure Client for Microsoft Networking is loaded along with File & Printer Sharing. This should also make the Server Service show up for you.
• Give each PC a unique IP address and a common subnet mask. If you have the router/switch doing DHCP, it will be automatic. If not, post back since there are several things to consider here to avoid 'gotcha' problems.
• Share each printer that you want usable on your network. Share name needs to be done like the computer name so no spaces, all alpha-numeric, etc.
• If you want all the PCs to show up in Network Neighborhood, they will all need to have something shared. Printer, folder, something.

With the above done, your structure should be complete and ready to go so you can set up network printers on the PCs. While you can browse for them, I prefer to simply specify which printer is to be loaded. Say you have PC-1 with it's printer shared as Printer1 and PC-2 with it's printer shared as Printer2.

On PC3, go to add printers, specify network printer, and when you get to the block to say which printer, type in \\PC-1\Printer1 and continue on. It should install. You can also add \\PC-2\Printer2 if you want a 2nd printer. It's no extra load on the PC. So simple enough to have all PCs connected to both printers.

 

I have discovered that one desktop and one laptop work fine, permitting printing on one of the printers from the laptop. The network is in the process of being set up, and neither of these two yet has antivirus installed.

The non-functioning desktop has avast installed. It is the only one hard wired to the Linksys router; the other three are wireless attached. The printer can be seen from the other computers, but attempt to attach results in "Error: Access is denied. " This desktop will work as a client, attaching the printer from the other desktop.

The non-functioning laptop has PC-cillin 2003. It shows nothing on the "Microsoft Windows Network;" no computers, no printers. Under connections, the LAN is "Local Area Connection 2." "Workgroup is not accessible." "The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available." This computer, unlike the others, has Eacfilt Driver and 802.11b EAPPkt Protocol installed. Attempt to remove Eacflt results in "Could not uninstall the Eacfilt Driver component. Eacflt Driver is still required by the following component(s) and cannot be uninstalled until those components are uninstalled." "Filter Driver. "

Hope this information is useful.

Meanwhile, at least the critical laptop-printer combination works.

 

AV software shouldn't be a player in this whole process. Firewalls can and will be. If you have any loaded on individual PCs, they have to be configured to allow access from your other PCs. If the router/switch has the firewall, you shouldn't have to do anything.

Did you make sure all the steps in the list above are done? The "access denied" error really sounds like an issue with one PC not having the username/password from another PC where it can make use of it.

 

Actually, I have now. The desktop that works has no additional accounts on it - just Administrator and Guest. For the one that does not work, I tried adding an administrator account in the network name of the laptop, but that did not change anything.

For the non-functioning laptop. All other computers can see it, but when I try my network places, I get "Workgroup is not accessible. The network path was not found. "

 

And now some further progress. Although I cannot connect through the "Add printer" route, I can connect through "My network places." Only problem is that connection disappears when I reboot the laptop. The other desktop/server, which does not have any foreign accounts on it, does not require re-establishment of the connection.

 

This is now working, but sporadically. I haven't picked up a pattern on when the links break, but from suggestions above about having identical account names I gather that I need to create three new accounts on each desktop, matching accounts on the other machines. If this is so, I'm glad I only have a few computers! So is that name simply account name or computer name_account name? I picked up "Windows 2000 Networking for Dummies," but apparently it doesn't extend all the way to the clueless.

Previous suggestions appreciated.