Need help setting up file & printer sharing in XP?

Question

Desktop and laptop, both running WinXP SP2. 2wire 2700hg-b residential geteway (wireless dsl modem/router) wire-connected to desktop, wireless to laptop. Internet connection is fine on both machines. Need to know how to set up file & printer sharing. Have tried Network Setup Wizard, to no avail.

Answer 1

Take these simple steps:

(1) In Windows Firewall settings, click EXCEPTIONS tab and mark check File & Printer sharing.
(2) In Start – Settings - Printers & Faxes: Right-Click the printer you want to share then click “SHARING…”. Find “Sharing” Tab on printer properties and put name on “Share this printer”.
(3) Open Windows Explorer (Win-E). On Addres box (ALT-D), type the computer name of one sharing the printer, example: \\user1
(4) When it shows something on that computer, right-click the printer which you want to connect then click “CONNECT…”.

Here's one link for you to check also...

Answer 2

dude i need the same help as well.

Answer 3

Windows 98/ME



1. Go to Start - Settings - Control Panel

2. Double Click on Network

3. Under the Configuration Tab make sure you have the following:

* Client for Microsoft Network

* (A description of the network card)

* IPX/SPX Compatible Protocol > Network Card

* NetBEUI > Network Card

* TCP/IP > Network Card

* File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks

-If you don't have IPx/SPx, and/or NetBEUI you'll have to click add>protocols>Microsoft then select which every protocol you need.

4. Under Primary Network Log On, have it set for Client for Microsoft Networks

5. Click on the File and Printer Sharing button and make sure both boxes are checked

6. Go to the Identification tab and make sure the Workgroup name is Identical on all computer on the network. Example if Workgroup name is WORKGROUP, then it has to be WORKGROUP on all computers. If it is workgroup, the all computers have to have workgroup. Computer name has to be unique on each computer and description does not matter

7. Finally, under Access Control, make sure that there is a check by Share Level Access control.

8. Then hit OK out of all the windows opened and restart when Windows asks you to.

Enabling File Sharing

After following steps 1-8 above, double-click the, My Computer icon. A window of available disk drives will appear. Using your right mouse button, click once on the drive, or open the drive and right click on the folder that you want to make available to other users. Click Sharing and then click the Sharing tab. Click Share As. Enter your drive or folder name in the Share Name box (you can call it whatever you want--Mary's Computer, etc.).

Next, decide on the type of access that you want to give other users. "Read-Only" access lets other users view the files on your PC. "Full access" lets users create, change, or delete files on your system. "Depends on Password" lets users have Read-Only and/or Full access, depending on the password that you decide to share with them.

Use your mouse to select the type of file sharing access that you want other users to have. If you want to assign access password(s), type them into the Password box(es). When you're done, click the Apply button. Then, click OK. Your drive(s) can now be accessed from other users whenever they click on their Windows 95 Network Neighborhood icons. If a user tries to access one of your drives that's password-protected, he or she will be asked for the appropriate Read-Only or Full access password. After the item is shared you will see a hand appear underneath the folder or hard disk.

How to Share Printers

After following steps 1-8 above, double-click the My Computer icon. Click on the Printers folder. A window of available printers will appear. Using your right mouse button, click once on the printer that you want to share with other users. Click Sharing and then click the Sharing tab. Click Share As. In the Share Name box, give a name to the printer you're about to share (Jack's HP4, for example). If you want to assign a password to the printer so only certain users can access it, enter it in the Password box. When you're done, click the Apply button. Then, click OK. Your printer(s) are now shared.

Note: Linksys does not warrant this information and will not be held responsible for any software corruption as the result of this information

Windows 2000



Starting from the desktop:

1. Go to My Computer > Control Panel

2. Double click on Network and Dial - Up Connections

3. You should see Local Area Connection or something similar. If you're not sure which network card you're using select each Local Area Connection(s) and follow step

4. Click Properties

5. You should have the following:

*Client for Microsoft Networks

*File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks

*Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

*NetBEUI

*IPx/SPx

If you don't have NetBEUI or IPx /SPx please go to Step 6, else please go to step 7

6. Next click Install and select the protocol that needs to be added:

NetBEUI

IPx/SPx Compatible Protocol

7. Click Close and Close again

8. This will bring you back to “Control Panel”. Double click on System

9. This will bring up the "System Properties" Window, you'll be on the General Tab, click the Network Identification tab.

10. Click Properties

11. Check to be sure that the computer name you're using is a unque name on the network, and workgroup is set, not domain. Now make sure that this computer has the same Workgroup as the rest of the network.

Windows XP

To setup a network in Windows XP, you'll need to run the networking wizard in Windows XP you can access it by going to:

Start> Control Panel> Network Connections (If you do not see “Network Connections” click on the Switch to Classic View option on the left hand side of Control Panel).

On the left side you'll see "Network Tasks"

Click on the option for Setup a Home or Small Office Network

This will bring you to a wizard.

Select the option for Connecting to Residential Gateway (That's the router).

Once the wizard is finished you'll have to make a floppy disk that you'll take around to the other computers to set them up. After you set them all up, shut down all the computers, and then start them up and you should be able to share files.

Please Note:

If you're using Windows 98/ME and try to access a Windows 2000/XP PC then you may not be able to access the shared portions of the Windows 2000/XP computer due to user right restrictions. To get around this you may want to have the Window 2000/XP PC access the files from the 98/ME machine. Else you'll need to setup User permissions.
For more information on that you can check Microsoft’s website or contact their technical support.