printer problem

AniAni
edited February 2004 in Science & Tech
i connect to a shared printer on the network but whenever i shut down my system or the system which the printer is connected to and restart, i lose the connection..i can't figure out why..can anyone help so that i don't have to reconnect everytime i do this?

Comments

  • GunnyGunny
    edited February 2004
    www.practicallynetworked.com - Find someone else with the same problem, print the answer, you're good to go.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Well, the part about rebooting the computer that has the shared printer happens a lot with 2000 and less with XP. It also happens more with 98 and 98 SE than with an all-XP network (XP on all boxes).

    One way to use Windows to help is to set up the drivers for the printer from the printer CD on all boxes that use it. Then you set the printer as default. Do this while the computer that is sharing the printer is up and not printing to the shared printer. You need to set up the drivers so they know the printer is not a "local" printer. most drivers will default to a local printr port, but if the box that is sharing the printer is up you can use network neighborhood to find the printer, and having doen that you can tell many printer drivers to look for the printer name you told to share the printer with the NAME of the computer that you are suing to share the printer with. IF you use the IP address, and you reboot the printer that shares, you then need to change the IP every time you reboot the computers that need to connect if you use DHCP. Either you use fixed IPs and do not use the DHCP or you get to use comuter and printer names.

    We would need to have abunch of detailed info as to what is happening to tell you exactly how to fix your network, look and see if you use DHCP for starters, please. Also, tell us what Windows is on each computer. If one of the boxes is NOT a widnows box, tell us what is on it for an O\S, like RedHat 9.0 or whatever is on it. We need to know more about the network if the above does not help at all-- lots more about the network. I have played with this on 3.11(Workgroups), 95, 98, 2000 and XP, and mixed networks, and each version mix gets set up differently. Easiest way is to get each computer name unique to one computer, use a common workgrup name, set up a box with XP Pro that can DHCP for other computers, and set up a Windows Domain. Use a switch that is not set to DHCP for just a local LAN, and use a switch plus a router for sharing broadband plus full local connection. The router should be a firewalled router, for security.

    John D.
  • AniAni
    edited February 2004
    Thanks Ageek, i'd give it a trial...ur suggestion sounds very good,especially the part of setting up the drivers of the printer from the printer CD in the workstations...i never tried that.Thanks
  • DexterDexter Vancouver, BC Canada
    edited February 2004
    Just to amplify Ageek's good advice, many printers designed for network print sharing in an office environment come with an administrative program or tool that let's you create a network install package. Basically, once you set up one computer, you run the network packager, and it grabs the currently installed driver with all the correct settings, and saves that in a .exe installer. That way you don't have to put the CD's into every workstation and configure each one individually, just put the installer up on a shared folder, and run it on each workstation, nice and easy.

    Check to see if your printer install CD has that option, usually found under Adminstrator or Network options in the installation routine.

    Dexter...
Sign In or Register to comment.