XP home to XP Pro weird issues.

  • Thread starter Thread starter brandon
  • Start date Start date
B

brandon

OK...having some flaky problems, and I was hoping I could get some
suggestions.

Two machines...one desktop running XP pro Sp1 connected via wireless
connection to a linksys router. This machine has a printer that is
connected via USB that is shared. The second machine is a laptop that is
also connected via wireless to the same linksys router, running XP home,
sp2. I want to be able to share the printer on the desktop, to the laptop
and share files back and forth between the two. Both machines are setup
with DHCP which is being servered up via the router. All of that seems to
be working fine, and both machines can access the internet fine. Both
machines belong to the same workgroup.

Most of the problems seem to be with the laptop. The laptop can sometimes
print to the shared printer...but it's slower than crap, and pretty much
locks the machine up. If I try to browse the network...I can see the other
machine and it's shared folders...but once I click on the machine or one of
the folders...everything pretty much comes to a crawl. Another weird thing
is I cannot ping the desktop, using the IP but the desktop can access the
internet, and it can access the laptop just fine.

I am guessing that the problem is something to do with the computer browser
crap. I don't have easy access to this setup, and I didn't have time last
time I was there to try out browmon.exe. So the next trip over I just
wanted to make sure I was preparred...and I just want to set this stuff up
so it works. What would have to do to get rid of this computer browser
issue. I was thinking about setting the IP's, getting rid of DHCP, setting
the computers names and IP's in each of the machines host and lmhost files.
I didn't know if I set everyhing in the host files...if I even needed the
computer browser service. And I guess if I do need it, and it's the causes
of my problems....can I setup one so that one is the master? that is...if I
have to have both.

This is just a simple home network, and I just want things to work...simply.


thanks for any suggestions!
 
The no-ping issue may be a non-issue, especially if you have firewall
software installed on one or both PCs. To check, disable Microsoft
firewalls and uninstall non-Microsoft firewalls and see if your ping problem
is corrected.

As for the printing - could be almost anything. I'd start by using
different spool settings on the laptop computer, say perhaps to spool the
entire job before printing.

I'd also check the actual network speed of both computers and signal
strength - could be one or both computers either have a marginal connection
and/or a slow connection causing problems. Again, get rid of all firewalls
before testing this.

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