hi, my name is zee & i have a home network set up as shown in the attached picture. basically i have bellsouth's dsl which comes in to the modem & then to my wireless router & then to my desktop pc. all of this is wired. my printer is also wired to my desktop pc. ( i can print from my desktop). the problem is that i cant print from my laptop. the modem is a westell modem, the router is a netgear 54mbs wireless router wgr614 v6 and the printer is a brother mfc 3240 c which is connected via usb to the desktop. i can browse the internet both computers but i cannot print or share file on the connected wireless computers (laptop). can you please advise me as how to configure the laptop to print wireslessly and to share files with the desktop ... i have read & tried microsoft's article on this but to no avail ...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/n...cutt_july2.mspx
Share Your Printer Over a Home Network Using Windows XPShare Your Printer Over a Home Network Using Windows XP.
all the computers are using windows xp
thak you zee

Welcome Zee, Others might offer more advise so check back offen.

Is the printer USB then just plug it in to the laptop or you will have to buy the USB printer hookup for the laptop and the printer. Moveing a cable for a print out is easy enough till you spend the money for the wireless devices. IMHO!!

is the workgroup the same on each computer?

WES just where in KS.? I was from Lyon County before getting married and moving to Indiana. I'm considering moving back now that my wife passed on.
Close to Topeka, maybe...
I think zee needs to set up a wireless printer adapter to work with the laptop . But a 15 ft. USB cable is cheaper and less problems.

Also remember that unless the desktop computer is on, you will not be able to print because that is the only connection to the printer. In effect, you are printing through the desktop. UNLESS you can get a wireless adapter that your printer will accept, probably not very likely.

ranchhand it is possible with Linksys and a newer printer. But I used my laptop to do other things and when I needed to print I just USB to the printer or cabled the desktop & laptop (the laptop was wireless hooked up to the desktop) or just turned on the desktop and found what it was I needed to printout and zip, zap done. Work around aren't so bad if your adjustable person.
Anal retentive people might not like my work around. No harm intended to those with this pure must be done right attitude. That works too.
I just learned in the Nam that "you do what you gotta do, to get what needs doing, done!"

Windows Firewall can sometimes block "File and Printer sharing". If you use the Network Setup Wizard it will ask if you want sharing enabled and if you say yes it creates an exception for filesharing, allowing it through.

BTW there are times when it's usefull to have sharing enabled but firewalled, it's a handy dodge that allows you to print to a USB printer from DOS without allowing everyone to print to it.