i have a desktop pc that id likte to network with a laptop via wifi so i can print remotely. how do i do this? TIA
what do you mean, like you have wifi already you just want to be able to see the computer?
yes i have wifi, i want to be able to print from my laptop wirelessly
what OS?
Desktop is XP, laptop is windows 7
is the printer connected to either computer physically?
yeah its connected to the desktop
create a workgroup and share the printer
well for starters you need to turn on “file and printer sharing” in the control panel on the laptop and set your work group on the desktop to the same name as the laptop usually by default its “WORKGROUP”
+1 on the workgroup match, and also turn on printer sharing on the desktop pc as well as the laptop. Not exactly sure where it is on XP, but you should be able to access the printer sharing from looking in control panel, printers, right click the printer you want to share, go to properties, and there should be a sharing tab to turn on the sharing for that printer.
Then on the laptop go to start button, devices and printers, add printer, network printer, it should populate with the shared printer in the search box. Then select the printer and hit NEXT and follow the instructions to install any drivers, and print a test page.
Obviously the desktop pc has to be on if you want to print. GL, I’ve had this setup for years and it hasn’t had one problem.
There is no “printer sharing” setting like there is on Vista and 7, on XP.
No there is a printer and sharing “center” or w/e is on vista/7, but it’s definitley possible.
To share a printer connected to a XP machine:
Start, settings, printers and faxes, right click on the printer you want to share, go to SHARING, select “Share this Printer”, give it a name.
+1
My printer at home is shared on my home network via an XP machine. I can print from another desktop on the network as well as wirelessly from my laptop.
wrong. see attached image.
Correct, this is also in Vista/7 but in addition they have the Network and Sharing Center.
See attached.
the best thing to do is have a wireless printer, or one that you can plug into a network port on your wireless router. this would mean you don’t have to have the PC turned on or configured like crazy. It might make life easier if you upgrade the PC to win7 so everything is apples to apples.
make sure the two pc’s have the same workgroup name.
In the system properties of both operating systems.
Once you reboot, and they have the same workgroup name, then right click on the printer that you want to share from the machine that the printer is plugged in to.
Share it, give it a name.
Then go to add a printer from the machine that you want to print from, choose network printer, and let it find the printer that you shared.
Click through, and it will install the driver to print, then you will be able to print.
The only thing is that the host machine has to be running, or you will not be able to see the shared printer.