Printer Sharing Problem - Windows XP Home SP2 and Windows98 SE

[Edward]

Network configuration

Small LAN with multiple users:
Server : Windows 2000 Server
Clients : 2 Windows 98, 2 Windows ME, several Windows XP Home (SP1),
(New Install) Windows XP Home SP2

All File sharing and printer sharing (including shares on server and
between clients, e.g. XP (SP1) -> Me, ME->98...etc).

Understand windows XP home didn't got domain join ability. Know that
SP2 is quite annoying and so most of SP1 machines didn't got the
upgrade.

However, newly installed machines are all eqipped with Windows XP Home
XP2, problem occurs when communcating with sharing resources in Windows
98.

Symtons:
File sharing -> OKAY
net use, net view, start \\windows98machine -> OKAY

access share printer installed in windows XP home SP2 machine from an
windows 98 machine -> can see the printer but very slow connection (new
sometime to connect), during printing, the transfer speed is very slow
-> hence very slow printing speed. Other OS OKAY.

access share printer installed in windows xp home SP2
from windows 98SE -> can see the printer, connect and installation
okay, but during selection from the printer drop down box (say, in MS
Word), very slow responding and even no respsond, need to wait until
time out (>10s), can connect and print 1 times out of 3 trials.
Other OS all OKAY.

Have tried to disable firewall or make sure the "file and printer share
service" are enabled in the firewall exception, both not working. They
are all in the same work group already.

I believe it's a compatibility issue, are there any resolution or it's
an known problem?

Thanks in advnce.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

How many PCs are trying to access the XP Home PC with the printer attached?
You do realize it has a connection limitation of just 5? What do you find
'annoying' with SP2? I personally wouldn't have an XP PC without it.