Real noob-How to add a printer to wireless network

[splunge]

Hi! I'm new to the forums and to tech speak overall.
We recently set up a home network of my wife's laptop to out dwesktop PC via a wireless Lincsys router. Up until a few weels ago it seemed to be working fine. Now for some reason the laptop can't print to the PC's printers. It accesses our DSL fine. I apologize for not knowing what info to post to allow you folks to offer advice.

Any suggestions/requests for more info?

Basics: Both run XP, the desktop I recently updated from SP1 to 2. The desktop has Zone Alarm, but that hasn't changed.

[splunge]

I apologize for the double post- i have no idea how I mangaed to do that.

Admin, could you kill one of these?

[Sunset]

So you have two computers and two printers, and your ideal is to be able to print from either computer to either printer? Or do you want to print to only one printer?

[splunge]

I have 2 printers hard wired to the desk top (laser for black and white and color ink jet for pictures) I'd like to print from either machine to either printer. I'm having no trouble printing from the desktop.

[tomkear2006]

Have you been able to use the printers from the laptop in the past?

You need to turn on File and Printer sharing on both machines in order to do this.

Some in depth and easy to follow instructions:
http://www.geekgirls.com/windowsxp_home_network.htm

[glc]

If you had printer sharing working before and it just stopped working - first thing to do is shut down Zone Alarm. The free version is not LAN-friendly.

[splunge]

Yes, it used to work fine. I'll try shutting down Zone Alarm. Is there a way to configure it so as not to interfere? Alternatively, are there any good (ideally free) fire wall programs that willkeep my wife printing happily and keep out the bad guys. I heard the windows XP firewall is a joke.

By the way, Thanks!

[glc]

With XP SP2, the firewall is no longer a joke. If you are behind a router, that's all you need.

[splunge]

GLC, thanks! I shut down Zone Alarm and dropped it from my start list and activated Windows Firewall with the exceptions for the LAN and printing is working fine. My wife thinks I'm a genius.

One odd thing: After I did it, Internet Explorer wasn't able to connect to the web!? Fire Fox browsed fine. Is the Windows Firewall messing up IE? Was it just a momentary glitch? Once I get home this evening, I'll restart ant retry, but any sage advice for now?

[glc]

To test that theory, shut the Windows firewall down. I doubt it would though.

[ChoboSeki]

If that doesn't work, go to IE > Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Restore Defaults and see if that fixes it.

[splunge]

Well, after initially working well, the laptop no longer prints to the printer, IE didn't connect, the VPN client woudn't connect and AdAware couldn't update. I disabled the Windows Firewall, restarted Zone alarm and reinstalled VPN and AdAware and am back to square one- they all seem to work now but the printing. Oy!

[glc]

UNINSTALL Zone Alarm, reboot, then re-enable the Windows firewall. Just disabling ZA will do what you have described. Ran into this yesterday.

[splunge]

Does Windows Firewall start on boot if I start it? Before, with the mess, it would shut off with restart. By the way, thanks everyone!

[Ob1]

yes it should always start up with windows as long as you have it turned on.

[splunge]

Thanks everyone. Looks like it's working. Windows Firewall actually startesd when I restarted after uninstalling Zone Alarm without having to turn it on. go figure.

By the way, Ob1, that sig, identifying my IP and ISP is unsettling.

[glc]

That's not showing your IP to anyone else but you. I see mine in there.

[splunge]

I know, but still unsettling.