Home Network: can only access media, cannot share printer & files

[Stitch in time]

I have a new Acer Aspire Desktop with Vista Home Premium and a Acer Satellite
Notebook with the same OS. I have followed all the suggested settings to
share files and printer, but the only thing being shared is media. I can see
the desktop on the map of my connections, but not when I vew computers and
devices. I'm using ATT DSL with a 2wire 2701 modem with integrated router.
I have tried opening ports and taking down all the firewalls just to see if
that would help. ATT said it's not the router and Acer hasn't responded yet.
I tried downloading something called "Network Magic" and it couldn't find my
router, so that was a waste of time. I'm sure this is just a setting, but I
can't figure it out. What am I doing wrong? B y the way, I have no idea what
I'm doing. I'm a stay at home mom and all I want to do is be able to print
from the laptop on a home network, without having to leave my daugther in
another room. I've been searching the net for 48 hours trying to get a
solution to what was not a problem when I had 2 HP's on a XP os. Where is the
"wizard" to simplify my life?

 

[Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)]

Assuming you have enabled file sharing, have you assign permissions in the
Security tab? Or this search result may help,

Vista Permission IssuesCan I assume the external drive used to be connecting
to other computer and you just re-connect it the the Vista? Check the
permission using this command: . ...
www.chicagotech.net/vista/vistapermission.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com

 

[Stitch in time]

Your assumptions are correct.

I checked the link you sent...could see the answer to my problem.

MORE INFO: If I got to network and sharing and click on "view map" I can see
my desktop from notebook. But If I click on desktop, right click 'open' I
get the following error message: " cannot communicate with desktop (address).
network diagnostics pinged the remote host but did not receive a response.
Contact ISP or network admin. ISP not helpful. what should me settings be?
What do I need to allow? I thought I knew, but I don't.

 

[Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)]

If this the LAN, I don't see any issues with the ISP. Can you net view the
remote computer by using net view \\remotepcipadderss? If not, what's the
system error?

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com

 

[Stitch in time]

I know this is simple check of a few boxes, I just CANNOT figure out where
the problem is.

From the laptop:This is a wireless Network Connection. I tried what you said
and the error message was the same as above:

" cannot communicate with desktop (address).
network diagnostics pinged the remote host but did not receive a response."

From the desktop: I can see the laptop and see shared files only if I sign
in as a guest. As a guest, though, I can't access the files:

Error message: "\\Laptop\user is not accessible. you might not have
permission to use this network resource."

 

[Robert L. \(MS-MVP\)]

Make sure you have assigned permissions in the Security tab. Or this search
result may help.

Vista Permission IssuesCan I assume the external drive used to be connecting
to other computer and you just re-connect it the the Vista? Check the
permission using this command: . ...
www.chicagotech.net/vista/vistapermission.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com