Home Network Printer Sharing

[BK]

Using XP-Media Edition.

We have set up a home network and have a wireless router. Everything is
working perfectly with our daughter's system in her room and with my
husband's laptop when he brings it home from work. Everyone can print to
the printer that is connected to our desktop system.

My husband just got a new laptop. He can connect to the network via the
wireless router, but we cannot seem to connect him to the printer. Have we
just forgotten how to do that?? When we try to "add a printer" and do a
search, we do not have the option to "search for available printers." What
steps do we need to take to enable him to print from his new laptop via
the wireless network connection like he used to be able to do on his old
laptop?

 

[Don Schmidt]

Try searching your "Network Places".

 

[BK]

I tried searching "network places" and our home network did not show up. So
I have to add a new network connection to the laptop? My husband's new
laptop was set up at work and was joined to the domain and the network
there. If I add a new network connection to our home network, will that
interfere with his work related stuff?

 

[Gordon]

I tried searching "network places" and our home network did not show up.

Go to Wireless Connections in Start-Connect to-Show all connections and Show
all available networks. You then need to set up a second wireless network.
Presumably your wireless at home is secure?

 

[Don Schmidt]

Having multiple networks shouldn't cause a problem. It wouldn't be any
different than going on a trip and connecting to every motel network along
the way.

Try looking in Network Connections (Control Panel) and see if your home
network shows up there. It's been awhile since I connected up what was my
laptop (daughter confiscated it - she's a sophomore in high school).

 

[John John]

*DON'T* change the laptop's network settings and *do* *not* try to join
the laptop to your home network! If you do the laptop will be disjoined
from the work domain and the trust relationship with the domain will be
destroyed! After that your husband will not be able to reconnect to his
work domain and the only way he will be able to logon to the laptop will
be by logging on with the built-in administrator account. To rejoin the
domain your husband will then have to ask the domain administrator to
rejoin the laptop to the domain.

Your husband can use the home network's resources by connecting to them
with the NET USE command, or you can rename the home network to match
the domain's name. See here: http://www.chicagotech.net/workgroupnet.htm

Many companies have policies that allow employees to use their laptops
at home. If the company allows this your husband should asks the guys
in the IT department for help and advice.

John

 

[Don Schmidt]

John,

Why is this different than going from motel to motel on a trip? Seems you
would be linking onto a network in both cases.

 

[John John]

When you go to a motel you still logon with your domain credentials.
You don't change your domain and you don't logon to the motel's network.
If you change the domain to a workgroup you will no longer be able to
long to the laptop except with the built-in Administrator account, and
you will not be able to logon to the domain until the machine is
rejoined to the domain.

John

 

[BK]

Hmmmm! I don't ever actually "add a new network connection" when at a
hotel or anyplace with a wireless router. Any my husband's new laptop
connects at home through our wireless router without any problem. All we
want to do is enable him to print to the printer like he used to be able
to do on his old laptop.

 

[BK]

I agree that I do not want to "add a network connection" and change the
laptop's settings from work. The laptop has no problem connecting via the
wireless router to our home network so that he can have web access. The
only thing that doesn't seem to be working like it did on his old laptop is
that he cannot print from his new laptop to our home printer.

Any specific places I should be looking on his new laptop for boxes to
check???

 

[John John]

http://www25.brinkster.com/ChicagoTech/workgroupnet.htm

John

 

[Don Schmidt]

OK, gotcha.

Thanks for the lesson.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

Is the new notebook in the same Workgroup as the other PCs?

 

[John John]

No problem. More reading on the issue here:

You cannot log on after you remove the computer from the domain
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/317049/

John

 

[BK]

How would I find the answer to your question? How would I assign it to the
home workgroup?

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM]

How would I find the answer to your question? How would I assign it to
the home workgroup?

Right click Computer and select Properties | Computer Name

 

[BK]

Thanks. I see that is where I can also assign it to the workgroup.

 

[BK]

Okay, the new notebook is NOT in the same workgroup as the home network.
When we try to add that workgroup name, it asks for a username and password
to "remove this computer from the domain." Obviously, we have already
established the fact that we do not want to remove his work laptop from the
workplace domain.

All we want to do is enable his new laptop to print to our home network
printer. I'm open to other suggestions.

 

[BK]

Okay, the new notebook is NOT in the same workgroup as the home network.
When we try to add that workgroup name, it asks for a username and password
to "remove this computer from the domain." Obviously, we have already
established the fact that we do not want to remove his work laptop from the
workplace domain.

All we want to do is enable his new laptop to print to our home network
printer. I'm open to other suggestions.

 

[Sharon F]

Using XP-Media Edition.

We have set up a home network and have a wireless router. Everything is
working perfectly with our daughter's system in her room and with my
husband's laptop when he brings it home from work. Everyone can print to
the printer that is connected to our desktop system.

My husband just got a new laptop. He can connect to the network via the
wireless router, but we cannot seem to connect him to the printer. Have we
just forgotten how to do that?? When we try to "add a printer" and do a
search, we do not have the option to "search for available printers." What
steps do we need to take to enable him to print from his new laptop via
the wireless network connection like he used to be able to do on his old
laptop?

Check that file and print sharing are enabled on the new laptop.