home network problem

G

gryffe

New Member
I cannot set up a home network to allow me to share printer between desktop pc and a laptop. i use the network setup wizard on both pcs and it seems to work. when i View WorkGroup Computers on the desktop pc it does not give me any results, when i View WorkGroup Computers on the laptop i can see the laptop, but not the desktop pc.

I would be extremely grateful if anyone can help, i have spent a few days on this and am getting nowhere :) THANKS

PS

I have managed to get the laptop to share the internet with the desktop pc, the laptop connects wirelessly.
 
Right click my computer on the computer, select properties. Under the tab called computer name. Change the workgroup on both Pc's to the same thing... ANYTHING.

Restart the pc, and it should work. If you have a third party software like zone alarm, it will block all this too. TURN IT OFF..
 
thanks for the quick reply trizoy. tried what you suggested and ran the network wizard on the desktop pc but it did not complete successfully -"an error occurred during the configuration of the network on this computer". it looked like it was about to work, I could see the little hand symbol that indicates sharing appear briefly but it disappeared and i got the error message. any more ideas?

thanks
 
do you have the firewall on? Either pc?

You can do a manual connection. In internet explorer type //local_ip (something like 192.168.2.1 or //computername

Or go my network places, selec entire network, microsoft windows network, and then go into any worgroup listed looking for the other pc.
 
cheers trizoy you are a star. when i turned off the firewalls this worked and the printer is now on the network. now for the really daft question. does this mean i cant have the firewalls activated on both pcs? if so, does this not leave me a bit open to attack?

cheers
 
If you have a router (which you do).. It already has a firewall built in. You have no need to run both firewalls.

I know you have a router because you have both pcs networked.
 
really apprecaite your help trizoy, i have turned 3rd party firewall off on both pcs. i now have just one silly question left. does the router firewall protect both pcs?
 
If you have a router (which you do).. It already has a firewall built in. You have no need to run both firewalls.
Click to expand...
The router is for outbound only. I wouldn't rely on just the router firewall for security. Gryffe, what firewalls didyou have installed on your computers?
 
elmarcorulz said:
The router is for outbound only. I wouldn't rely on just the router firewall for security. Gryffe, what firewalls didyou have installed on your computers?
Click to expand...


Actually no, a router blocks all inbound requests... There would be no point for a firewall to work the other way.
 
Thats what i meant :P.The thing with a router firewall is that if something dodgy is using a legit port, then the router wont block it. But with a software firewall, then whenever something requests to use the internet, it needs to ask the firewall for permission, where as with a router, it wont. It really depends on what you do on the net, and if the sites you go on are 100% trusted
 
thanks guys for taking an interest

elmarco - i was using nortons personal firewall on both pcs - that is what was causing my problem.

so trizoy, will the router firewall protect both pcs?
 
It should work fine, The issue they're talking about is when you try to do something other than browse the internet. Like say you were to try to play an online game, a software firewall would pop up and say "do you want me to block this program?" The router will just bock it without asking.
 
It does all depend on what your doing... If you are running webservers and things it might be better to find the port and just open it.

YES, the firewall does protect both PC's. In my opinion, a router firewall is plenty.
 
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