XP to XP Printer Sharing Problem

[Bilbo]

A peer-to-peer network based on a SOHO router w/4 - 802.3u ports.
Router is also 802.11g and WiFi is enabled (WPA2-PSK-AES).

A Win XP Pro SP2 Desktop with USB-attached SHARED printer connected to
the router using 100BaseTx connection. User's "My Documents" folder
is also SHARED. Simple File Sharing is disabled.

A Win XP Pro SP2 Laptop with proper WiFi adapter connects to the LAN.
Same user id and password on Laptop as Desktop. Simple File Sharing
is disabled.

Printing to the shared printer from the laptop doesn't happen.
Printout seems to go off into never-never land.

Laptop has a Shortcut on its desktop that specifies a UNC path to the
shared "My Documents" folder. Double-clicking on this shortcut causes
a credentials pop-up to appear, and -- when credentials are entered --
the shared folder opens in a Windows Explorer window. At this point,
printing to the shared printer will occur without trouble.

It IS true that it takes some time for the laptop to negotiate a
connection to the network -- the network drivers seem to be just about
the last things to get launched. It IS true that the laptop user logs
into his session long before the connection gets established. It is
also true that there are several WiFi LANs in the neighborhood which
can be "seen" by the laptop but I believe the connection is being made
to the proper network automatically as a matter of preference.

Still, I'd expect that he should be able to connect to the desktop
without having to enter credentials and that he should be able to
print to the shared printer.

What am I missing here?

Thanks....

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
Did you install the Printer drivers on the laptop?
Windows XP File Sharing -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304040
Printer Sharing XP -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx
Windows Native Firewall setting for Sharing XP -
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875357
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking)

 

[Bilbo]

Hi Jack,

Yes. It has the drivers. Firewalls are OK.
File and Printer Sharing is OK.
Dawgone thing seem to just need a nudge to make the connection.
I had the owner lug the laptop out so it was right next to the desktop
and assure me that he was using the same account and password.

He's in his late 80's and physically kind'a feeble and uses the
laptop when he doesn't have the vigor to go out to his garage
where his desktop, router and printer lurk.

Why does he need "ad-hoc" credentials to connect to the other? The
Desktop is his "legacy" PC and the Laptop is the newbie. We set it up
so he could use the same userid/password on each PC because more than
one might confuse him.

I'm kind'a stumped on this one. If it were a firewall issue, seems to
me he'd never be able to connect at all. That's not the case here.
He connects, but he has to open a shared folder first and that means
he gets asked for a userid/password. Just an annoyance but it
troubles me because he shouldn't have to do this IMHO.

Thanks...

Bilbo