my systems cannot communicate with each other cannot share printer etc?

Question

i have 3 systems (all win xp) they all could acess the router (connected to a dedicated line), but cannot ping each other, one could see the other two in my network places but yet could not ping them, only one has the printer, others could not connect to the printer in add printer wizard ( the host printer was shared and permission was given to all to access it) at the moment all the 3 systems are not seen each other. what is wrong?

Answer 1

If one computer is the one hooked up to the printer (lets call it computer A), in order for your two other computers to use the printer on computer A, you first would need those two computers to be able to access computer A's shared files (SharedDocs folder) in Network Places. If you can't access it, or don't see it in Network Places, you have to make sure all three computers are in the same workgroup (Right click My Computer-->Properties-->Computer Name Tab). If the workgroups are not the same, change them all until they are. Restart each computer and then try to access each computer's shared files. If you're able to get in, then go into Add Printer and make sure you select "network printer." If each computer are already in the same workgroup and you can see them, but you cannot access each computer's shared files, change the workgroup into something different, restart your computer, then change the workgroups back into the same workgroup as the other ones. Hope this helps.