need help setting up wireless print server

[briforge]

I've got a wireless router at home so we can use a laptop from more comfortable places. Now I'd like to be able to print from the laptop as well. We've also got a desktop that is connected via cable to the router, and a Canon ip4500 connected to the desktop. WindowsXP on both desktop and laptop. Printer works fine from each machine when connected via cable.

I don't recall the model # on the Linksys router, but it's a few years old; I think it's maybe got A/B but not G or whatever the latest letter(s) are

I bought some AirLink AMPS240W wireless print server at Frys awhile ago and tried to hook it all recently. Following their setup directions, I connected the print server via network cable to the router, and the printer to the print server. Installed the print server software on the laptop, and it quickly discovered the print server. However, it can't see the printer. I went through the setup on the print server anyway, which basically just hitting 'Next' on most of the screens. Maybe this is part of the problem, going through the setup w/out seeing the printer.

I then installed the print server software on the desktop, 'discovered' the print server and DID see the printer, and 'Linked' the printer on the print server software/wizard thing, and printed a page just fine.

Googled a bit on the problem, even called their tech support, just some guy going through a script; they suggest deactivating the firewall on the laptop, uninstalling and re-installing the print server software. TURNING OFF THE FIREWALL to use the printer?!?! WTH? I tried it briefly, didn't make a difference. I'm using standard Windows Firewall. I briefly looked around the settings on the Firewall, hoping I could make an exception for the IP address of the print server or something like that, but didn't find it.

I know there's another option, of keeping the desktop on and sharing the printer that way, but I'd like to avoid it if possible.

Any ideas?

[johnwill]

Can you ping the print server from the laptop?

Let's see this for the laptop and the desktop.

Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD to open a command prompt:

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following commands, one at a time, followed by the Enter key:

Note that there is a space before the -n or the /ALL, but there is NOT a space after the - or / in the following commands.

NBTSTAT -n

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[briforge]

Thanks for the reply. Hey, it's only taken me a month to get back to this...here's the listing from the desktop:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>nbtstat -n

Local Area Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.15.100] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
DIMENSION8100 <00> UNIQUE Registered
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP Registered
DIMENSION8100 <20> UNIQUE Registered

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : dimension8100
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapt
er(LNE100TX v4)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-03-6D-16-15-6E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 206.141.192.60
66.73.20.40
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, September 13, 2008 9:26:47
AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:26:47 A
M

C:\>

[briforge]

and here it is from the laptop. fyi, at this point the laptop can see the print server but not the printer. The desktop was able to send a test page to the printer

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>nbtstat -n

Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [192.168.15.101] Scope Id: []

NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
BAPRST-1520 <00> UNIQUE Registered
BAPRST-1520 <20> UNIQUE Registered
MSHOME <00> GROUP Registered

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : baprst-1520
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1D-60-B3-9E-12
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.15.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 206.141.192.60
66.73.20.40
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:24:4
7 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, September 14, 2008 10:24:47
AM

C:\>

[johnwill]

Can the laptop access shared files on the desktop? When you browse the network from the desktop, can you see both the laptop and the desktop? If you double click the desktop, can you see the shared printer listed?