# How to access a shared printer on a workgroup that doesn't show up



## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

I'm going nuts. I have set up a basic NAT network at the house and all the computers share the internet connection through the router which is in turn hooked up to a modem. I have three computers running into the router via JR45 cables and the fourth is my laptop which has an internal wireless card. I can access the internet on any four of the computers perfectly. The three that are hooked up to the router by the JR45 cabals are able to see each other in the workgroup window under workgroup computers in Control Panel. They see all four computers including my laptop. When i get on the laptop though i can only see the host computer in the workgroup computers window and not the other two. The reason i'm asking is because i wan't to be able to access info on the network via shared folders which I can do on the host but not the other two. Also i have my one and only printer hooked up to one of the other two computers. It is actually hooked up to one running Millennium. This printer is shared and works perfectly off the other two wired computers but i cant access the comp running Millennium since it doesn't appear in the workgroup window. The host runs XP home. The third comp runs 2000 professional and my laptop runs XP Pro. Talk about hell when trying to network all these. I was able to do it, but i just want the laptop now to be able to access all the other computers on the network and not only the host. This is primarily so that i can install a shared printer on the laptop and not have to run around with thumbdrives to print.

I know i have said a lot already, but if you have the patience to keep on reading then here is a little bit more info.

I have pinged all the computers from one another and they all communicate fine. The laptop will recognize every computer but itself and all the other computers will recognize each other except for the laptop. So in theory the laptop sees the computer with the shared printer but cant access it since it doesn't see it in the workgroup. But what i find odd is it doesn't see itself either when it pings itself.

Thanks for bearing with me. all and any little bit of help is appreciated.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

The "JR45 cabals" are the problem.  You should be using Cat5 (or similar) ethernet cables with RJ-45 connectors. Sorry, couldn't resist the insult.

I'm afraid I couldn't absorb all of your description, and am not at all sure about what file and printer sharing you've enabled on what and what firewall(s) you are using. But let's see if we can work on the 'connect to the printer from the laptop' problem.

Somehow I have the idea that the laptop has Windows XP Pro, but I can't find it again. If it does, make sure it has Service Pack 2, because of all the networking and especially wireless fixes and improvements. Secondly, uninstall or properly configure any 3rd party firewall(s) on the laptop.

Then do Start - Run - \\Pcomp (where Pcomp is the IP address of the computer on which the printer is installed and directly connected).

After about a minute an Explorer window should open showing the shares on that computer and the printer should be one of them. Right click on the printer and choose 'connect.' If the laptop's OS is different than the OS on the Pcomp, and if you did not load the additional driver when you shared the printer, you may have trouble. If so (trouble because of driver), go back to Pcomp, unshare the printer, and then share it again and load the driver needed for the laptop. Then do the above connection attempt again.

If unsuccessful, exactly what error message or condition occurred when?

Now, what else needs to be worked on? Is there something special about the "host" computer, or is that just what you call it?


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

To play on Terry's pun I have to say that this is networking its not "Dallas"  JR didn't do it with a 45!

You mention a "host computer" are you running ICS? Does this "host computer" have to be on for the others to access the internet? if not Terry is right that "host" isn't a valid definiton for it.


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

Like I told Terry, I had just taken a 3 hour college chem test and studied for 4 hours for a Calculus test, and then had been working on the computers so sorry about the jr45 stuff. If i had been thinking clearly I would have remebered that it is a Cat5 with 45 plugs on the ends.
Anyways, The ICS is enabled on the "host" computer or the one that i call the host that is. Supposidely, is has been disabled on all the others, but the internet still works when the "host" is off. I am running dsl through a modem into a router and then all the computers hook up to the router and get their internet through the router. So does it really matter then which is the ICS computer. I guess i might also mean by the "host" is the comp that i set the network up on initially. So i assume that i am not terming it right. So what is this computer that I set the network up on? Because in essence i can get to any of the workgroup computers from any computer in the workgroup, except for the laptop that is and that is why i initially joined the forum.

Therefore, i tried \\Pcomp where Pcomp is the IP address of the the comp with the printer attached directly to it. It's IP is 192.168.1.102. When i ping it from my laptop i get a response but that is it. \\Pcomp doesn't work


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

O.k. i forgot to tell you what happens after i put in \\Pcomp in. I get an error window that says something along the lines of CScript must be enabled or something like that.

I really appreciate all your guys help. Whatever i know about computers i have taught myself just by playing around on them so I'm just trying to learn more as I go along so please be patient


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You should not have ICS enabled on any of your computers. Your network is termed 'infrastructure' because it is built around the router (the router supplies IP configurations and other infrastructure). It's also call 'peer-to-peer' because there is no server or host or controlling computer--they are all equal on the network. End of Lecture.

I've never seen "something along the lines of CScript must be enabled" so we may have a rather unique problem here (even though the symptom is common). Best get the exact wording--as if it's a chemical equation--and see if anybody here has a clue. Also search for it on the web.


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

ok i will make sure that none of the comuters have ICS enabled on them. I tried the \\Pcomp again and now all that comes up is " The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."

Thanks for the info on the "host". Now i know that there isn't one and can get my terms straight.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

can you post some IPCONFIG /ALLs from the PC's this way we can ensure all PC's are showing on the same network. ICS can sometimes leave "traces"


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

Here are some of the ipconfigs if the computers to ensure that they are all on the same network. I assume this is what you ment by IPconfigs//ALLs

Computer #1 is 192.168.1.100 XP Home
Computer #2 is 192.168.1.102 WinME
Computer #3 is 192.168.1.103 XP Pro (This is the laptop)
Computer #4 IS 192.168.1.104 Win2000Pro

They all have the same subnet mask (255.255.255.0 and same default gateway of
(192.168.1.1). So it appears that the router is assigning the addresses correctly. So why can't the laptop see 192.168.1.102 and 192.168.1.104 in the workgroup yet it can ping them and get a response in Comand Prompt.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I like that above summary of the 4 PCs. Now are these statements correct:

a. My Network Places/view workgroup computers works perfectly on 3 computers (including accessing files on #3), but on #3 only #1 and #3 show up?

b. From #3 I can access files on #1?

c. Each computer can ping each other computer by IP address?

d. Each computer can ping each other computer by Computer Name?

Please make sure these services are running on #3 (Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Services):
Computer Browser
TCP/IP Netbios helper
Server
Workstation.


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

a. My Network Places/view workgroup computers works perfectly on 3 computers (including accessing files on #3), but on #3 only #1 and #3 show up?
*On #1,#2,#4 My Network Places/view workgroup computers works perfectly. #'s 1,2,3,4 all show up. But #'s 1,2,4 cant access files on #3. On #3 only #1 and #3 show up*
b. From #3 I can access files on #1?
*Yes, i can access a shared file named PostOffice, This is a common shared folder on all four computers so that i can save on one and open on another. This file was initial created on #1 so that all the files would be saved to #1's harddrive being that it was the largest on. But i cant access shared pics or music or anything else like that which is specific to #1. Niether can #2 or #4.*
c. Each computer can ping each other computer by IP address? 
*Yes, only #3 cant ping itself. Im not sure whether #'s 1,2,4 can ping #3. I will try in a few minutes.*

d. Each computer can ping each other computer by Computer Name?
*Haven't tried. How do you do that? (ping\\computername)?*

*All these services are running on #3 (Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Services):
Computer Browser Status = started Startup Type = automatic Log On As = local sys
TCP/IP Netbios helper Status = started Startup Type = automatic Log On As = local sys
Server Status = started Startup Type = automatic Log On As = local sys
Workstation. Status = started Startup Type = automatic Log On As = local sys*

If you want a diagram of the setup i can email you one.


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

Ok. computers 1,2,4 dont ping 3 either


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"#3 cant ping itself" and "computers 1,2,4 dont ping 3 either" tells me that #3 has a firewall that is blocking even itself. Not sure if this could account for the other symptoms, but without successful pings we can't much hope for higher level communication.

With all my so-called humor in post #2 you may have missed: "Secondly, uninstall or properly configure any 3rd party firewall(s) on the laptop." It's possible to block pings with XP's SP2 firewall, but you have to work at it.

FYI, ping by name needs no special characters; e.g.,
ping DESKTOP
ping www.yahoo.com


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

What other firewalls would there be other than ones i manually configure on the devices? I disabled the one on norton as well. Is that the right thing to do?
Thanks


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I do not know what firewalls you are using. Some folks have found that Norton disabled is still Norton blocking--they've had to uninstall it or get it properly configured.


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

ok. i will try to get rid of everything and post tonight and tell everyone what happend.

thanks


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## jackjack (Mar 22, 2006)

unbelievable. All i did was uninstall norton and all my problems have been solved. Now #'s 1,2,3,4 all show up on #3 and i was able to instal the shared printer in a matter of seconds. Thanks guys for all your help. I appreciate it greatly.
happy trails


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"unbelievable. All i did was uninstall norton and all my problems have been solved."

Not! Not unbelievable. Happens at least weekly just in this forum. 

I misunderstood the ping results earlier or we mighta got here quicker.


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