New Router and Sharing files

[Kay]

I just installed a new LInksys WRT N router. Previously, I had a G router.
It is hardwired to a desktop running xp 3. I have a wirless HP Pro printer on
the network. I need to share the main computer's folders with the wirless
laptop. The wireless laptop connects to the internet through the netwok,but
can no longer see or connect to the main computer on the workgroup. I can
print from the main computer to the printer, but cannot print from the
wireless laptop. Linskys insists there is nothing wrong with the network,
but with the computer. The files are shared, the laptop is only a year old
and could always connect to the network before i switched to the N router.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I am desperate at this point. I
am now using my laptop as my main computer in my business office and can't
print or access files on the main.

 

[Lem]

I just installed a new LInksys WRT N router. Previously, I had a G router.
It is hardwired to a desktop running xp 3. I have a wirless HP Pro printer on
the network. I need to share the main computer's folders with the wirless
laptop. The wireless laptop connects to the internet through the netwok,but
can no longer see or connect to the main computer on the workgroup. I can
print from the main computer to the printer, but cannot print from the
wireless laptop. Linskys insists there is nothing wrong with the network,
but with the computer. The files are shared, the laptop is only a year old
and could always connect to the network before i switched to the N router.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I am desperate at this point. I
am now using my laptop as my main computer in my business office and can't
print or access files on the main.

You haven't provided much information to go on, but I suspect that the
problem(s) have to do with the configuration of your firewalls and/or
the printer port setup.

That is, the new router probably uses a different subnet than the
previous one. Check your firewall configuration (on both computers) to
make sure that you are permitting traffic from the correct subnet (for
your new Linksys router, that's probably 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255).

This should fix the file sharing problem but may or may not fix the
printer problem. If not ...

Right click on the icon for your wireless printer in Printers and Faxes
(on the laptop; you said the desktop is OK), select Properties, click
the Ports tab, and highlight the port that is selected for use with this
printer (it should be a "HP Standard TCP/IP port"). Click the "Configure
Port" button and check the box for "Printer name or IP address." If it
is a name rather than an IP address, make sure that the box to "Always
print to this device, even if its IP address changes" is checked. For
more reliable operation, change the printer to use a static IP address
(see the printer's User Guide), making sure that the address you select
is (a) in the correct subnet and (b) outside of the range of IP
addresses provided by the router's DHCP server. Then enter the static IP
address on the configure port page. Don't forget to make a corresponding
change on the other computer!


--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[smlunatick]

You haven't provided much information to go on, but I suspect that the
problem(s) have to do with the configuration of your firewalls and/or
the printer port setup.

That is, the new router probably uses a different subnet than the
previous one.  Check your firewall configuration (on both computers) to
make sure that you are permitting traffic from the correct subnet (for
your new Linksys router, that's probably 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255).

This should fix the file sharing problem but may or may not fix the
printer problem. If not ...

Right click on the icon for your wireless printer in Printers and Faxes
(on the laptop; you said the desktop is OK), select Properties, click
the Ports tab, and highlight the port that is selected for use with this
printer (it should be a "HP Standard TCP/IP port"). Click the "Configure
Port" button and check the box for "Printer name or IP address." If it
is a name rather than an IP address, make sure that the box to "Always
print to this device, even if its IP address changes" is checked. For
more reliable operation, change the printer to use a static IP address
(see the printer's User Guide), making sure that the address you select
is (a) in the correct subnet and (b) outside of the range of IP
addresses provided by the router's DHCP server. Then enter the static IP
address on the configure port page. Don't forget to make a corresponding
change on the other computer!

Another point is to check in the anti-virus so as o make sure that the
wireless SSID is not blocked. If the anti-virus was installed with
the 11G router installed, the anti-virus might be turning off the
wireless network because it does not match the previous wireless
network SSID.

 

[LURKER]

I just installed a new LInksys WRT N router. Previously, I had a G router.
It is hardwired to a desktop running xp 3. I have a wirless HP Pro printer on
the network. I need to share the main computer's folders with the wirless
laptop. The wireless laptop connects to the internet through the netwok,but
can no longer see or connect to the main computer on the workgroup. I can
print from the main computer to the printer, but cannot print from the
wireless laptop. Linskys insists there is nothing wrong with the network,
but with the computer. The files are shared, the laptop is only a year old
and could always connect to the network before i switched to the N router.
Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I am desperate at this point. I
am now using my laptop as my main computer in my business office and can't
print or access files on the main.

Make sure both computers are in the same workgroup.

For example,
If your old XP Box is on the group "WORKGROUP" and the new one is in group "MAHOME", they are not playing in the same
sandbox.

Especially if the newer computer is VISTA, all bets are off.

The reply about "same subnet" is VERY important to simplifying your life.

Lurker

 

[Steve Winograd]

Make sure both computers are in the same workgroup.

For example,
If your old XP Box is on the group "WORKGROUP" and the new one is in group "MAHOME", they are not playing in the same
sandbox.

Especially if the newer computer is VISTA, all bets are off.

The reply about "same subnet" is VERY important to simplifying your life.

Lurker

Having both computers in the same workgroup makes some network
functions, such as browsing My Network Places in Windows XP, easier.
If a network is having problems, it's worth a try.

But it isn't necessary to have both computers in the same workgroup. A
computer in any workgroup can access a computer in any workgroup.

To access another computer, regardless of what workgroup it's in, type
the computer's name, in XP's Start > Run box or in Vista's Start >
Start Search box, in this format:

\\computer
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Desktop Experience)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com