Connecting one printer to two computers and sharing files

[dixie]

I own a small business and i am wanting to connect my two comuters to one business printer. I dont have a network of any kind. I was wanting to what type of equipment I need to be able to do this. Also I need to know what type of equipment I need to connect my two computers to be able to share files like Quick Book PRO

[glc]

You need to establish a network.

1. What kind of Internet connection do you have and what hardware are you using for it?
2. What are the operating systems on the computers?
3. Do both computers have Ethernet adapters?
4. What is the printer model?
5. Do you have a multiuser version of Quickbooks?

Please be as detailed as possible with your responses.

[dixie]

I have just the regular dial up internet connection. The operating system on is Windows XP on both of them. Yes i have Ethernet adapters on both. The printer model is OKI Mircoline 420 its used for printing invoices for my business. and yes i have the mulit user Quickbooks.

[glc]

XP Home or XP Pro?

The only hardware you need is a CROSSOVER CAT5 Ethernet cable to connect the 2 computers together. You will run the XP network wizard on both machines to set up file and print sharing. You will share the printer and desired folders, and install Quickbooks in the network multiuser mode, putting the company databases on one computer and sharing them.

[edfair]

Although it will work with a crossover cable I would suggest that you might want to implement it with 2 straight cables and a hub. That would allow you to implement the printer with a print server off the hub also.
This is probably an additional $100 in cost but will eliminate the slowdown where the assets on one computer get tied up with printing.

[glc]

Use a switch, not a hub, if you do that.

[dixie]

Thank you so much for the info. I think maybe I can go from here but if not I will be getting back in touch with you.

[dixie]

I got the Cat 5 on the computers and also run the wizard. Nothing is happening So what do I do now?

[wildflower0804]

Hi dixie,
First check if your computers are able to talk to one another. To do this you have to "ping" each computer with each one's ip address. just follow the steps below and let me know what happens.
1. Go to START
2. Click on Accecories
3. Click on Comand Prompt, a command prompt window opens, and it should say something like this: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>
4. Type(ipconfig) at the blinking cursor, without the parenthesis. and press enter.
5. A list of your ip address and other things will pop up. write down the ip address of the 1st computer.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the 2nd computer.
7. After you have writen down each compters ip address, you are now going to ping each computer.
8. To do this type ping (and the ip address) and press enter, example
ping 172.16.16.172
9. At the 1st computer enter the ip address of the 2nd computer, and then you will ping the 2nd computer with the 1st computers ip address.
10. Let me know if this works for you.

[wildflower0804]

If this works you should get a message that looks something like this:
Reply from 172.16.16.172: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 172.16.16.172: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 172.16.16.172: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 172.16.16.172: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
This means that you have established connectivity between the two computers.
Again let me know if this works.

[glc]

If you are connecting the 2 computers together directly with a cable, it must be a CROSSOVER style cable, not a standard patch cable.

[edfair]

It might help to reduce the troubleshooting time if you would describe which way you are attempting to connect the computers. GLc had suggested a crossover cable, I had suggested hub, corrected by GLC to switch. Troubleshooting is going to be a little different depending on what you have and the parts required are different. If you don't tell us you may get bad advice.

[dixie]

Wildflower0804

I did what u said and was able to get the IP address on one computer but on the other one it didn't pull up anything. It jus said IP configuration. What do I need to do now? by the way thanks for putting it in terms that i can understand, i'm a little stupid when it comes to all this.

[glc]

The one that did not return results probably does not have the network adapter drivers installed or the wizard was not run correctly. Open device manager, are there any network adapters listed, and are any of them flagged with a yellow circle or red X?

[dixie]

yes, it has one listed as: Intel (R) PRO/100VE Network Connection and it has a red X on it.

[glc]

Right click on it and select Enable.

[dixie]

okay that was easy but I still don't have anything. I think it is time to get the gun out and get computer # 2 out of my misery!!
Went back and tried the ipconfig as in reply #9 from wildflower and this is what I got this time.
Ethernet adapter Local area connectrion:
Media State-------- Media disconnected

[glc]

Are you using a CROSSOVER cable, reference my posts #4 and #11? This is not the same thing as a standard Ethernet patch cable.

[dixie]

yes I am using a crossover cable unless the guy at Radio Shack sold me the wrong thing. I went in and ask for one and he said you are hooking up two computers together and I said yes. He got me this one that I am using. Is there any way to tell by looking at the wires if I have the correct one? Looking in the end of each wire the colors of the wires are not in the same place. Using green as a example it is the third from the last on one and the second one on the other.

[glc]

Okay, that is in fact a crossover cable. Could you provide some specs on that particular computer?

[dixie]

Specs as in ?? what all do you need remember that you are talking to a computer iliterate person here.

[Panama Red]

Dixie, recheck the Device Manager and see if any items are marked with yellow or red marks. Also, we still need to know what Operating System you are using on the two machines. I think we're assuming XP but are they Home or Pro? Are these store bought units or custom built? If store bought, what brand and model? Do the machines have more than one Network Card (nic)? IE, does either have a PCI nic installed (a separate card) as well as an onboard nic? Also, when you ran the wizard on each machine, did you make sure to give each pc a unique name and make sure both have the same WorkGroup name?

[Gizmo]

Specifications like the brand, model and type of each component in the computer, what OS it's running and what version. Whether it's a store bought machine or a home built one. Things like that help make troubleshooting problems a lot easier.

EDIT: Yup, I've been beaten to it once again. You got it PR

[dixie]

Both are store bought ! Do you think that I have enough sense to build one???
# 1 is a Dell Demension DV051 system is Microsoft windows XP Media Center Edition version 2002.
#2 is a HP Pavilion same system as #1.
all device mangers have been checked and are okay.
only have one network card in each one.
ran wizard and did as stated in #22.

[glc]

That being the case, I think the crossover cable that you bought might be defective. I'd advise you exchange it. Connecting 2 machines together with a crossover is almost a total no-brainer using the wizard, it should not be fighting you like this.

[dixie]

I'm Back!!!! Went and got a new crossover cable and nothing! I'm still not getting anywhere.
Went and pinged computers again and this is what I got.

Packets: sent = 4, received = 0, lost = 4 (100% loss)

[glc]

Turn off all software firewalls. Try installing the NetBEUI protocol.

http://www.pchell.com/support/netbeui.shtml

[dixie]

already had firewalls turned off. Before installing the netbeui I wanted to tell you what I am getting on computer #2 when going back and reinstalling wizard again.
It says that if has found disconnected network hardware it says that the item listed below is disconnected. To plug in network cable and then click next.
Local area connection realtek RTL8139/810x jFamily Fast Ethernet NIC

cable is connected. Unplugged and replugged and still get same info.

[glc]

Uninstall and reinstall the driver for the Realtek. That's the onboard NIC. If that doesn't work, it may be a hardware failure, installing a $20 PCI NIC and disabling the Realtek in the bios may fix it.

[wildflower0804]

dixie,
Try This:
1. right click MyNetwork Places
2. clck on properties.
3. right click Local Area Connection
4.double click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)...an internet protocol properties dialog box pops up
5.select...Obtain an IP address automatically... from the General Tab
6. select...Obtain DNS server address automatically...from the General Tab also
7. This will reset your IP Address.
8. Now go in to you Command Prompt again and find the ip address for the computer#2 (the one your having problems with (ipconfig)
9.Try to ping Computer #2 from computer #1 using the ip address that you just reconfigured.

Good luck ..Let me know what happens