Solve : Laptop with Vista problem connecting to printer?

1.	Solve : Laptop with Vista problem connecting to printer?
Answer» I'm trying to connect my daughter's laptop (Vista) to our printer, which is physically attached to our desktop running XP. We have a wireless antenna connected to our desktop and have set the printer to share. Have set the firewall (on the desktop) to accept the new laptop computer but still we cannot print from the laptop. I've actually successfully installed the printer onto the laptop following their instructions but, it does not print. Could the two different platforms be the problem? Please help. Thank you Quote I've actually successfully installed the printer onto the laptop following their instructions but, it does not print. Do you mean you once had the printer connected directly to the laptop, or do you mean the printer appears in the laptop, i.e. Vista's, CONTROL Panel, under Printers? As a test, you might try connecting the printer directly to the laptop and see whether you can get it working that way. How do have the two computers networked together? Do you have a ROUTER? Soybean, The printer appears on the laptop (as you wrote, through vista setup) and it has never been connected to the printer. I'm begining to think it has something to do with how we have the network set up. I actually have a wireless router/antenna that connects via ethernet to our desktop. The laptop picks up the signal from the antenna to go onto the internet (our assigned network with password security from the wireless company). In other words, if I disconnected the wireless antenna from the desktop and just left it plugged into the WALL, the laptop could still pick up on the signal to get onto the internet. So, I'm not sure whether to call it a router? Perhaps there lies the problem?? Maybe I need some other device? Quote ... if I disconnected the wireless antenna from the desktop and just left it plugged into the wall, the laptop could still pick up on the signal to get onto the internet. So, I'm not sure whether to call it a router? I'm not sure exactly what type of device you have there. Can get find a brand name and model number on it, or any identifying markings? What type of Internet connection to you have? Cable, DSL, dialup? Are all computers, your and your daughters, in the same dwelling? Who setup the wireless connection for your desktop in the first place?Currently, I have two ways of getting internet: One through a cable modem (Comcast) and another is a wireless antenna (Wireless company using the Ruckus antenna). The cable modem and antenna are connected to the desktop computer; the wireless is connected to the ethernet on the desktop. The laptop is connecting to the internet via the wireless antenna. I signed up with the wireless service ( a local company here in town) because our cable sometimes goes out during winter storms and such. So, I didn't want to be left without a connection to the internet because I have two kids in school who use the internet quite frequently for school. The wireless connection was just a simple plug and play unit. All I had to do was log on with our username and password given to us by the company - pretty simple. Quote The cable modem and antenna are connected to the desktop computer; the wireless is connected to the ethernet on the desktop. So, you have two ethernet ports on your computer? In other words, you have both the modem and the antenna for the wireless service connected at the same time?Yes, I have both devices plugged into the desktop computer. But, cable modem is connected through a usb port and the wireless is connected through an ethernet at the same time. Currently, when we access the internet at the desktop, it must be connecting through the wireless because the LIGHTS on the modem don't all turn on (as it did before when we just connected through the cable modem). That's another question I wanted to ask but, I'll have to post it under Internet questions. Just an update. I finally got the laptop to communicate with the printer (wireless connection). What I did was follow the "set up a network" on the laptop which includes a network log on and passkey PROVIDED by the wireless company we signed up for. Also, I hadn't realized that the laptop IP address had changed since setting up the network. So, I just added that address to the "allow" list on the firewall (on the main computer where the printer is connected to). Everything works now

Answer»

I'm trying to connect my daughter's laptop (Vista) to our printer, which is physically attached to our desktop running XP. We have a wireless antenna connected to our desktop and have set the printer to share. Have set the firewall (on the desktop) to accept the new laptop computer but still we cannot print from the laptop.
I've actually successfully installed the printer onto the laptop following their instructions but, it does not print. Could the two different platforms be the problem?
Please help.
Thank you
Quote

I've actually successfully installed the printer onto the laptop following their instructions but, it does not print.

Do you mean you once had the printer connected directly to the laptop, or do you mean the printer appears in the laptop, i.e. Vista's, CONTROL Panel, under Printers? As a test, you might try connecting the printer directly to the laptop and see whether you can get it working that way.

How do have the two computers networked together? Do you have a ROUTER? Soybean,
The printer appears on the laptop (as you wrote, through vista setup) and it has never been connected to the printer. I'm begining to think it has something to do with how we have the network set up. I actually have a wireless router/antenna that connects via ethernet to our desktop. The laptop picks up the signal from the antenna to go onto the internet (our assigned network with password security from the wireless company). In other words, if I disconnected the wireless antenna from the desktop and just left it plugged into the WALL, the laptop could still pick up on the signal to get onto the internet. So, I'm not sure whether to call it a router? Perhaps there lies the problem?? Maybe I need some other device?
Quote

... if I disconnected the wireless antenna from the desktop and just left it plugged into the wall, the laptop could still pick up on the signal to get onto the internet. So, I'm not sure whether to call it a router?

I'm not sure exactly what type of device you have there. Can get find a brand name and model number on it, or any identifying markings?

What type of Internet connection to you have? Cable, DSL, dialup? Are all computers, your and your daughters, in the same dwelling? Who setup the wireless connection for your desktop in the first place?Currently, I have two ways of getting internet: One through a cable modem (Comcast) and another is a wireless antenna (Wireless company using the Ruckus antenna). The cable modem and antenna are connected to the desktop computer; the wireless is connected to the ethernet on the desktop. The laptop is connecting to the internet via the wireless antenna. I signed up with the wireless service ( a local company here in town) because our cable sometimes goes out during winter storms and such. So, I didn't want to be left without a connection to the internet because I have two kids in school who use the internet quite frequently for school.
The wireless connection was just a simple plug and play unit. All I had to do was log on with our username and password given to us by the company - pretty simple.
Quote

The cable modem and antenna are connected to the desktop computer; the wireless is connected to the ethernet on the desktop.

So, you have two ethernet ports on your computer? In other words, you have both the modem and the antenna for the wireless service connected at the same time?Yes, I have both devices plugged into the desktop computer. But, cable modem is connected through a usb port and the wireless is connected through an ethernet at the same time. Currently, when we access the internet at the desktop, it must be connecting through the wireless because the LIGHTS on the modem don't all turn on (as it did before when we just connected through the cable modem). That's another question I wanted to ask but, I'll have to post it under Internet questions.
Just an update. I finally got the laptop to communicate with the printer (wireless connection). What I did was follow the "set up a network" on the laptop which includes a network log on and passkey PROVIDED by the wireless company we signed up for. Also, I hadn't realized that the laptop IP address had changed since setting up the network. So, I just added that address to the "allow" list on the firewall (on the main computer where the printer is connected to). Everything works now

Solve : Laptop with Vista problem connecting to printer?

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