Hi Chuck,
All this talk of multiple things to tinker with on the network sound largely
irrelevant to the problem, to me. All the network is providing in this case
is a communication channel. As both machines can "talk" to the Internet via
this channel, it's unlikely that either machine is incorrectly configured as
far as the network is concerned. If both machines get their addresses via
DHCP from the router, and, in fact, are getting addresses in the same subnet
(192.168.10.x, it appears from earlier messages) then there's most likely no
issue with the network and/or router.
It sounds like the printer is directly connected to the desktop (i.e. via
USB cable) based on what I've read in this thread. If so, then the printer
must be deliberately shared in Windows on the desktop machine in order for
the other machine to see it. As it's a new printer, are you sure that you
shared it?
Both machines MUST also have the same "workgroup" name in order to be
considered part of the same network and thus able to "see" each other
correctly. You'll find the workgroup name listed via the "System" applet in
the Control Panel.
"File and Printer Sharing" has to be "on" on each of the machines.
If you've got all of this correct, then about the only remaining item to
check is whether you have the proper machine name and printer name
referenced on the laptop in the printer set-up to refer it to the desktop
for printing.
FYI, if you have the option of an Ethernet hook-up to the printer, and
instead chose to use USB, I would highly recommend switching to the direct
network connection via Ethernet to the router. Doing so will free you from
much of the baloney you're dealing with here, as well as from the need of
having either machine acting as "host" and "print server" for the other.
It'll also free you of occasional USB Alzheimer's from which XP seems to
periodically suffer, where a perfectly functional device is suddenly
"forgotten" and becomes inaccessible, requiring a restart. Should you have
this option, drop me a note and I'll try and get some info to you to make
setting it up less of a chore.
---
Scott
On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 08:58, Chuck Norcutt
<chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Thanks. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any way to direct the
> router to ping the computers directly. However, it would seem to me
> that the computers are communicating with the router since they can
> resolve the IP addresses using just the computer's names in a ping
> command. It's just that running the ping on the laptop against the
> desktop fails after properly resolving the desktop's IP address.
>
> I was just wishing I had a third computer to attach to the local net.
> That would at least tell me if the problem is in the laptop which is
> where I suspect it is. It's the only thing that's perhaps had "unknown"
> configuration changes. The only changes to the desktop were the
> uninstall of the old Brother laser printer and the installation of the
> new one in its place. The printer works fine from the desktop where
> it's physically installed.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> On 7/31/2011 10:54 AM, Michael Collins wrote:
> > On 7/31/11 10:19 AM, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> >
> >> Turning the firewall off on both machines makes no difference to
> >> anything. Trying to map drives elicits exactly the same similar but
> >> different responses. Trying to ping from one to the other also has
> >> exactly the same results.
> >>
> >> *I asked this yesterday I think. Is there perhaps a big clue in the
> >> failure of the laptop to ping the desktop? Is this not LAN adapter to
> >> LAN adapter via the router with no or at least minimal involvement of
> >> the OS?*
> >
> > I'd say so, although the firewall can certainly get in the way of the
> > "minimal involvement of the OS". The ability to ping the other machine is
> > pretty fundamental at the TCP/IP level, and I think this is a significant
> > clue. Whether it's the sending computer's ICMP packets not going out, the
> > receiving computer not allowing them in or not sending the response out,
> or
> > the sending computer not allowing the response in is unknown. IMHO you
> > shouldn't be looking elsewhere until you resolve this.
> >
> > Can you ping them from your router? Some routers offer this feature. Or
> do
> > you have another system on the LAN that you can ping to/from? Either
> would
> > help you identify the likely culprit, though not the cause.
> >
> > Someone has suggest "sniffing" the LAN traffic, I think. The tool to use
> is
> > Wireshark. I have it on several of my systems, but not on my XP laptop;
> I'll
> > see if I can get it set up later today, if you're not already familiar
> with
> > it.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> >
> --
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