Network printing

Hi, I have a main PC hard wired to a modem / router with USB printer connected, a desktop and three laptops all wireless - all are Win 7 64bit and one of them has stopped remote printing (says printer is offline). As I have always found network printing a bit of a hit or a miss, i.e. sometimes works sometimes doesn't I thought I'd investigate further. I changed the router recently but just can't see that as being the problem and the only thing that seems to be different on the one that doesn't print is I can't get it to join the homegroup (which I didn't think you needed to be to network print) because it says I need to have IPv6 enabled but can't seem to figure out how to get that enabled - the box is ticked in adapter properties. Is there a reliable way to ensure you can always connect to the printer over the network each time every computer is switched on ? Network printing is great - when it works !!!

As always, any help would be very much appreciated.

For me on my home network and network printing, all PC's must be in the same work group (what ever it's named) and all PC's must have the driver loaded. Try uninstalling printer driver from PC that's having the issue and then re install through the network under devices/printers and letting it search for it and install it. Personally, I've never had an issue with printing from my home network once the above procedure was completed and I've moved (new house) and changed routers and moved printer from one PC to another.

Hi, thanks for your reply - I just uninstalled and reinstalled the printer driver and its now working again but I always get the feeling that it will be less than reliable, or one of the other PCs will decide to not connect with the printer. Just the way its always been i'm afraid with me.

But, I do appreciate your feedback.

Printers are a finicky breed of hardware...some will work for years with a setup like yours and mine with out a hitch. Then at other times they seem for no apparent reason to just quit working in some aspect especially for the all in one printers...print will work but scan function wont and so on. It could be for any number of reasons, such as a new app that was downloaded causing the issue, a MS update...I've heard it happen although I've not experienced it personally, a driver update from some other installed piece of hardware or an outdated driver and software packaged of the printer itself and the list goes on. The "piece de resistance"...human error...which has happened to all of us at one point in time. It just happens sometimes...nature of the beast with computers and peripherals. The quick fix for such problems is a reboot and if that doesn't fix it then an uninstall and reinstall of hardware/software...which generally speaking fixes the problem 95% of the time.