Solved Printer no longer working on my wirless network

[dsperber]

Oops... sorry. I mistakenly asked for Control Panel-> Network, but what I really mean was Start -> Network.

I made the same mistake in my second request... that should also have been Start ->, etc., not Control Panel ->. sorry.

My first screenshot was of Start -> Network, which shows both of my two home desktop machines that are part of my home network. Same with the second... it began with Start -> right-click on Computer, etc.


Also, I probably edited late and added my similar request for the same two screenshots from your laptop: (1) Start -> Network, and (2) Start -> right-click on Computer, select Properties, and then show the network-related section.

By having the network details as seen by both systems, the few remainin gsteps needed will be guaranteed to work.


I don't have any interest in that C-partition disk information. Interesting, but not relevant to the printer/network/sharing issues.

thanks for all of these. Very close to doing the final few tweaks on the laptop.

 

[tinabina22]

I'm not sure I understand #2 but I'm sending what I think you want. I'll go to my laptop and do the same thing.

 

[tinabina22]

Here come the one's from my laptop

 

[dsperber]

Looks to me like you've got BOTH of your computers named TINABINA22-PC!

They have to have DIFFERENT computer names, if they're going to be on the same network.

Also, your desktop machine is in a workgroup named WORKGROUP, while your laptop machine is in a workgroup named MSHOME. They need to be on the SAME workgroup if they're going to be able to share things, such as hard drive partitions and printers.

(1) On the Start -> right-click on Computer -> Properties, on the right side of that network/computer name area there is a link to "change settings". Push it, to see your current computer properties of computer name, description, and workgroup.

(2) push the "change"button, to change this information. You will then get the Computer name/domain changes screen:

(3) You need to pick a single workgroup name, either WORKGROUP or MSHOME or whatever you want... for example I've made up my own workgroup name MDRLAN, but you can call it anything you want.

But you must have the SAME SINGLE WORKGROUP NAME for all your home computers that you want to be able to see each other and "share" hard drive data and printers.

Decide what you want to use, and set that value on both your desktop and your laptop using this CHANGE screen.


(4) Also, you must pick UNIQUE AND DISTINCT "computer name" values for each of your machines that are going to be part of the one home network workgroup. That is how you will be able to identify them when you "explore" or "make use of shared resources", by virtue of their unique name.

For example, I've called my two computers MDR and DFW, referring to the geographical part of the country I was in when they were purchased. You can name your computers whatever they want, but they need to be UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT to be on the same workgroup which is your home LAN network.

Decide what computer names you want for both desktop and laptop, and set those values using this CHANGE screen.


You're going to have to re-boot to get the workgroup and computer name changes implemented.


When you get this done, come back with new screenshots showing the network.

You should now see BOTH computers on the network display of BOTH computers.

You should have TWO computers visible, not just one... from BOTH computers. That is the evidence that your "workgroup" is now properly set up, with both your laptop and desktop as part of it.

 

[tinabina22]

Ok, I will get these things done tomorrow. Need to get to bed, 5:30am comes early. I will get back to you tomorrow after I have completed these processes. And again thanks for all your help.

Tina

 

[dsperber]

Ok, I will get these things done tomorrow. Need to get to bed, 5:30am comes early. I will get back to you tomorrow after I have completed these processes.

No problem.

And if you want, once you (a) get the computer names and workgroup names squared away on both machines, and (b) uninstall all of that HP software/driver stuff you put on the laptop yesterday, I think you can probably just do on the laptop what I mentioned in my "recipe" earlier in this thread.

Once you take care of these items I now believe your desktop machine is currently ready-to-go, with the proper driver automatically installed by Win7 when you first plugged in the printer. It has "shared" specified.

I'm sure there is more in the 290MB HP installer file than what you currently have from Win7 alone, but as far as basic printer functionality and access from the laptop... well you're already there as far as the desktop side of things.

That means FROM YOUR LAPTOP you can just Start -> Devices and printers -> ADD A PRINTER, and follow the dialog using the "add a network, wireless or bluetooth printer" path. As you can see from my screenshot, you will now be offered all "shared" printers available from all of your network machines... which now WILL show your desktop machine with printer share name "tinabina22" (again???) as available for connection use from the laptop:

I suspect your Epson printer (installed on the laptop) may also show up in this list, but you're wanting to select that C5180 printer on your desktop machine, which SHOULD now show up in the list of choices.

Then push NEXT, and follow the wizard to completion (as shown in my earlier screeenshots). I think this should then be the end of your quest.



Just a few more "words to the wise"...

(1) When you pick your computer names for both desktop and laptop, the shorter and sweeter and more intuitively helpful the better. These values are used as prefixes whenever network resources are shown (as you can see in my screenshot above, which shows my Canon printer hosted by my \\DFW machine when adding a printer on my \\MDR machine.

So, you might go with something very simple but extremely useful, like "laptop" and "desktop", or some other short nickname you feel comfortable with and reads easy. That's why I chose MDR and DFW for my two machines.

(2) Since you're using a wireless router to provide wireless connectivity within your home from your laptop (and any other wireless machines from friends... and neighbors!, for example) to the Internet and also to the desktop, you certainly should have configured the router to provide maximum security and encryption possible (i.e. WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]). Have you done that? Password other than factory default? Maybe "turn off SSID broadcast" (i.e. STEALTH wireless operation)?

Or is it still running with the default "un-secured" or minimal security settings?

If you are you in an environment where you want to prevent unauthorized access to your home internet connection (say, to neighbors or drive-by's), you need to at least examine the current settings in your router and change those values to provide more security than you currently have, if needed.

Let me know if you are unfamiliar with how to do this.

(3) You might consider renaming your printers (specifically the "tinabina22" share name on the desktop) to something more meaningful. You apparently have an Epson printer on the laptop, and the C5180 on the desktop. Why not include their device names in the "share name" so that it is obvious what they are. Again, these "share" names will show up in lists of network objects, and although you can rename the installed printer object names on the local machine (e.g. the laptop) on which the "shared" printer from elsewhere in the network got installed, it still makes good sense to try and keep these names meaningful and intuitive.

For example, as my own printer setup shows, the names of the "shared" network printers offered in the "add printer" dialog screenshot ends up installed as follows, because of my reasonably consistent choice of names for the locally installed printer objects as well as their "share names" when viewed on the network:

 

[tinabina22]

Woowhooo!

Wooowhooo! OMG it worked!!! Thank you so much!!! I would have never figured that one out alone, your wonderful.

Thanks a million
Tina

 

[dsperber]

Wooowhooo! OMG it worked!!!

Great!! Congratulations.

I knew we'd get it sorted out... it really was the screenshots that precisely answered my questions.

Thank you so much!!! I would have never figured that one out alone

Glad to have been able to help.

Case closed.