Windows Vista Network printer probs

[floppybootstomp]

Network of four computers, only using three as # 3 machine has no Monitor atm.

Machine 1 running Vista, machine 2 running XP Pro SP3, machine 4 running XP Pro SP2.

I have two printers connected to the machine running Vista and I'm trying to share them but I can't find them on machines 2 & 4. Auto browse for printer doesn't work and I can't find the exact printer addresses in Vista.

Second problem is that on machine 4, using XP SP2, I can see the other two machines and browse them ok. On machine 2 using XP SP3, I can't access the other machines at all, I get the error message shown below in pic.

All hard drives on all machines are shared, My Documents on the XP machines is shared (I can't figure out how to share Documents on the Vista setup) and both printers are shared.

It's a Linksys wireless setup, hardware firewall is on, all machines are accessing Internet ok.

Right now I'm being a little cynical of Vista as I expect if I connected the printers to an XP machine, sharing wouldn't be a problem (although I'm only guessing). It may even come to this although I only have room for one printer in one location unfortunately, I'd rather keep them by the Vista machine.

Any help/suggestions/links/taking the rise/laughing/sympathising is apreciated (probably).

 

[floppybootstomp]

Don't all rush at once

I shut down all computers, went out, came home, fired up machines 1 & 2 and blow me down - everything worked

Both printers now added to XP/SP3 machine, have printed test pages, and also able to access Vista from XP machine.

I would guess that it's the varying strength of the wireless network, compared to my system when it was hard-wired, wireless is definitely a bit flakey.

 

[Madxgraphics]

Sorry Flopps...I was rying to emulate your problem on a virtual machine, but as I haven't done it in a while was having problems...In my opinion though I would leave the printers hard wired to your Vista machine.. I just find that hard wired printers have less problems than wireless..

 

[floppybootstomp]

Sorry Flopps...I was rying to emulate your problem on a virtual machine, but as I haven't done it in a while was having problems...In my opinion though I would leave the printers hard wired to your Vista machine.. I just find that hard wired printers have less problems than wireless..

Um, the printers don't even have the capability of wireless, it's the computers that are wireless.

The main machine (Vista) has both the ADSL Modem/Router and both printers hard wired to it via Ethernet & USB ports respectively.

What I was saying was that if XP can't see Vista but it worked vice versa, I was thinking of putting both printers (hard wired) to XP machine.

But no need now

 

[Madxgraphics]

Sorry was under the impression your printers were wireless to..I really need to start reading these threads properly before I put my foot in it again..