Home network driving me nuts!

cypress · 24 Oct 2009 at 13:23

I am being driven to distraction in my attempts to configure a home network. There is one main PC connected directly (i.e. wired) to the wirless router. The 2nd PC connects to this router wirelessly. This is working fine for the internet connection but that's it. I am trying to share a printer but no luck. My problem seems to stem from the fact that when I go Start->Network (both vista by the way) all I see is the computer I am on, no other PC in sight. It is really perplexing me because as I said, the internet is being shared without a hitch. Any suggestions??

Indy500 · 24 Oct 2009 at 13:29

Nothing to do with the internet connection - you don't use ICS with a router.

What you need to do is check that the machine with the printer has file and print sharing enabled. Then check the computer's name (example: 'PC001'), the name of the shared printer, and then try to add the printer from the other machine (can't recall how Vista organises this right now, but in XP its control panel -> printers and faxes -> add printer).

cypress · 24 Oct 2009 at 15:10

Thanks for the reply. I have followed those steps but my PC neither PC sees the other one when I look at the network.

Indy500 · 24 Oct 2009 at 15:15

cypress said:
Thanks for the reply. I have followed those steps but my PC neither PC sees the other one when I look at the network.

Are they in the same workgroup? Can you ping the computers' IPs using the command prompt?

john_s · 24 Oct 2009 at 16:09

Have you set the network types in Vista to private networks? If they are set to public, the computers won't see each other IIRC.

citycm · 24 Oct 2009 at 16:19

What you might need to do is add exceptions in the Windows firewall to allow the File/Print sharing. I can't remember exactly how this is done but could find out this evening for you.

This would need to be done on both machines.

K.C. Leblanc · 24 Oct 2009 at 16:21

Right click My Computer, Choose Properties and then select the computer name tab. Check that the name of the workgroup is set the same on both computer.

Also try disabling any firewalls you might have running on the two computers.

cypress · 24 Oct 2009 at 18:13

thanks everyone, stupid oversight on my behalf, I hadn't enable file sharing under my Eset firewall (and Norton on the other PC). It is all working great now. I also added a third computer, an old XP one my Dad uses as a workhorse. Now this one is connected directly to the router via a network cable, just like one of the two vista pc's. Is there any security risks with this setup?

Mantaray · 3 Nov 2009 at 15:33

nope not unless u download a trojan virus and run it yur self ....... they have to get passed the router first and your the only 1 that can let emmmmm ,,,unless a really gud hacker want,s your top secret files .... then u shud be fine