Wireless network questions

Donnyj · Jan 3, 2006

This is what happened. I tried to add another printer, seen the HP printer on the network, but it would not install. The number of printers stayed at one instead of now 2. One quick note, if I unshared the printer on the notebook, I could not see the printer on the network even though the printer is shared on the desktop pc. I unstalled the one and only printer on the notebook and tried to add another printer, now I can't see the printer on the network???? I browse for printers, I can see the Workgroup name, but no printer is showing attached to it?? I double click on the workgroup name, but I don't see my desktop computer underneath.

California · Jan 3, 2006

( if I unshared the printer on the notebook, I could not see the printer on the network )

What you see on the laptop is the 'network resource' representation of your laptop's local printer, which is a separate printer (in the logical sense) from the physically attached local printer.

The printer at the pc has to be defined as shared (on the pc), then the laptop needs to install the pc's shared printer, not the laptop's own shared printer, before the laptop can print to the pc's printer.

Donnyj · Jan 3, 2006

The printer at the pc has to be defined as shared (on the pc), then the laptop needs to install the pc's shared printer, not the laptop's own shared printer, before the laptop can print to the pc's printer.

I don't understand how to do that. I have the printer at the desktop shared. The hand underneath means it is shared? It is shared according to the desktop pc, but I still can't see it on the notebook. How do I install the printer on the notebook if I can't see it?

beagdog · Jan 3, 2006

Did you try searching for the PC from the laptop using the IP address in the search function? If you can see the printer there, you can add it to the laptop. You might try to install the printer using the USB cable to the laptop just to see if the printer will work from the laptop. It may need a specific driver that isn't on the laptop, and you can install it using the printer software when its hooked up directly. At least that way you'd know the printer will work on the laptop.

Donnyj · Jan 3, 2006

I had the printer installed on the laptop. It worked fine with the USB cable. I tried to add another printer and search for it on the network. As I said earlier the only way I could see the printer that is connected to desktop was to share the installed printer on the notebook. When I unshared it I could not see it. So I just deleted the printer on the notebook and tried to add the printer again. I can see the workgroup name, the name of the computer that has the printer installed to it, but I can not see the printer that is connected to the desktop pc. Does that make sense? Maybe I'm not explaining my problem correctly, if so please forgive me. I just dont know much about networking.

beagdog · Jan 3, 2006

Makes perfect sense, I just don't know what the problem is. If you can see the PC, when you click on the name of it, it should expand and show you any of the shared devices. The printer should show up then. If it doesn't show, you might try unsharing the printer, then resharing as a new share with all rights to any user that connects. If that doesn't work, I'm out of ideas. Sorry.

California · Jan 3, 2006

Ok, you're almost there. When you plug that printer into the laptop, and designate it as shared, it then appears as a network resource visible to both the desktop and the laptop. It should have a name that you assigned something like 'laptop's HP'.

Now plug it in to the desktop and use the desktop's My Printers to offer it as a shared network resource hosted by the desktop. Name that virtual printer 'desktop's HP'. That should make it visible as a network resource, visible by the laptop.

Each system should now see three virtual printers: 1)local, 2)their own local printer as a network resource, and 3)the printer attached to the other system represented as a network resource.

NSBound · Jan 3, 2006

I once recently thought I wanted to do this too, but reading all this has just turned my brain to mushhhhhhhhhh....... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Donnyj · Jan 3, 2006

No luck. As I said before I uninstalled the printer on the laptop. This time I did like you said and simply hooked the USB cable up. The notebook found the printer and installed the drivers. I shared the printer on the notebook and named it laptophp. I hooked the USB cable back up to the desktop and made sure it was still shared. I named it desktopshp. I only show one printer in my listings. When I tried to print from my laptop I get the same error message about trying to print to the USB port. Something I don't understand also is I can view the network on the laptop including the laptop itself on the network, but I can't view the network on the desktop pc. When I click on my computer and network places all I see is the wireless router. If I click on view network connections I see 1394 connection and local area connection. If I click on view workgroup computers the hour glass comes up for about 30 to 45 seconds and gives me a error message saying the xxxxhome is not accessible?? You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The list of servers for this workgroup is not currently available. I can not access the laptop from my desktop. Sounds like I have missed something, not to mention the 40 plus hours of networking training I should of took /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I really appreciate everyones help. I hope I have not worn out my welcome just yet???

Donnyj · Jan 3, 2006

I got it!!! Guess what was causing the holdup??? How about Norton Firewall?? Linksys cust. support emailed me back and said to check with Microsoft, but he did suggest disabling any firewalls. I configured Norton firewall to allow the network and still stay on. Anyone know if that is the correct thing to do. I can now see the laptop and the laptop can see the desktop and printing from both machines is fine. One more question though, I know not another one /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Should I share the hard drives on both machines? Is that safe to do? Any disadvantages or advantages? I do want to thank all the very helpful members on here who helped me out. You guys did not give up on this. Thanks again. If I can ever help anyone out in the future don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again!!

California · Jan 4, 2006

( Should I share the hard drives on both machines? Is that safe to do? Any disadvantages )

In my opinion only a single folder named 'Shared' should be visible on each network participant. This is to limit the damage a remote user can do.

Way back in the Novell / Win 3.0 era (1989?) I saw a misconfiguration on the secretary's pc lead to her trashing all the folders on a central network server when she intended only to move files. She had been given universal access to everything. Somehow her mouse cursor became 'sticky' and pulled whole folders around then left them within other folders randomly wherever she stopped moving the mouse. After she discovered this, she demonstrated it to everyone who offered to help her. Total chaos.

After watching that mess I've never designated an entire drive Shared.

And preventing access by uninvited intruders is another whole subject, I'm sure covered in the Norton documentation.

MikePA · Jan 4, 2006

I configured Norton firewall to allow the network and still stay on. Anyone know if that is the correct thing to do. 
Since ZoneAlarm allows it, I assume Norton allows you to define trusted IP addresses. If so, only allow them access.

beagdog · Jan 4, 2006

Glad you got it going. I should have mentioned that in my first post to you, check and disable any firewalls you had running then try to make it work. Oh well, sometimes the easiest things to do are the most difficult to think about. I think you now have more than that 40 hours of networking experience! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sharing your drives would be up to you. My personal preference on my home network is to share everything so I have access to any PC from any other PC. Now some will argue the security of that, and if you're in a business environment, sharing should be very limited. In my case, I'm the only one with access and I have hardware and software firewalls installed so the convenience of having full access is worth the minute risk involved.

Donnyj · Jan 4, 2006

If you share everything in your home network on all your computers, is there any risk of someone coming in through the internet and accessing everything on your computers? If I have the Norton firewall up and configured to accept the other laptop like I have now, would that still protect me from outside access? I would like to share everything on both computers, but I'm not sure if I'm protected.

riptides · Jan 4, 2006

If your connected to the internet, there will always be the chance you - <ul type="square"> get something you don't want
loose something you have
misinterpret something of interest [/list]

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

beagdog · Jan 4, 2006

My opinion, and thats all this is, is that if you have critically sensitive information on any of your PC's or if you aren't running a hardware firewall in conjunction with your software firewall (Norton in your case), I wouldn't share everything on every drive. If you don't have anything terribly sensitive, and you are running router behind your internet connection, I wouldn't hesitate (and don't) for a minute to share everything.

Remember, just my opinion, and worth about what you paid for it. I'm sure you'll get more opinions that are exactly opposite of mine.

zapper · Jan 4, 2006

Thanks Guys I've had a wireless network for over a year now and could figure out how to print wirelessly. Following your guidelines I now have it working. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

beagdog · Jan 4, 2006

Glad Donnyj's struggles helped someone else out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm sure he was about to throw the darned thing away and start over. These things are amazing when they work right, but they can sure be intimidating when they don't. I've trashed and rebuilt enough of them over the years that they don't intimidate anymore. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

ejtaylor822 · Jan 4, 2006

Congratulations DonnyJ! Glad you got it working.

The firewall was question #5 (in my laundry list – sorry for the umpteen questions) on my original post. However, from what you were describing I would not have pursued as it just did not sound like a firewall issue. Glad others were helping you out and you got it working. I was really thinking it was a wireless config issue.

Beagdog said that "you'll probably get more opinions that are exactly opposite of mine" – not the case with me - I agree with the statements that have been made. If you are behind a router/firewall should be good to share. One thing I would add though, I would not share entire drives. A hacker who gets on your wireless network will try to map drive names and common folder names (Documents and Settings, Program Files, Windows, WINXP, etc.).

Also, when directories are shared I hide them. This can be done by appending a "$" (dollar sign) to the end of the share name (ie, \hostname\sharename$). That way if someone gets on your wireless, they can't scan the network and map available shares. Of course, you now have to remember all your share names, but, I think it’s worth the extra level of security. (along with MAC address filtering – Yes, I am **** about security – it’s not my fault though I am a technology analyst in the healthcare (insurance) industry and this is always a “hot topic”).

Congratulations again. You should now be eligible for some kind of ceritification. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Donnyj · Jan 5, 2006

I can save alot on haircuts now.....since I don't have much hair left to cut. I pulled it all out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I like trying new things like this. In my opinion it is the only way to learn. I guess that is why I got into the automotive field. I like to figure out what makes things work. I'm not bashful about asking for help though. Thanks again to everyone who contributed. Hopefully some who were thinking about doing something like this have learned some things as well. I think I'm going to share just certain folders between the 2 computers. Last thing I need is my wife deleting or moving files around. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Take care everyone and thanks again.