Windows printer sharing

[time]

I get the feeling I'm missing something obvious here.

Customer has a Netgear wireless router with three computers:

Desktop 1 - wired, Win2k Pro
Desktop 2 - wireless, Win2k Pro
Laptop 1 - wireless, WinXP Pro

They're all part of the same Windows workgroup, with DHCP from the router.

There's an ancient HP laserjet connected to Desktop 1, and shared as "LaserJ" with access granted to "Everyone". Desktop 2 can happily connect to Desktop 1 and use this printer.

Laptop 1 connects beautifully to the IP network (and hence the Internet), but any attempts to even browse for 'network' printers just hang. It can't even connect to Desktop 1's shared drive using a UNC address, for that matter.

Desktop 1 doesn't seem to have too much difficulty identifying Laptop 1 when it browses the LAN (but maybe that was a fluke?).

The laptop couldn't do this five months ago when it was a brand new installation. What is going on?

 

[Mercutio]

Check what's on what subnet.

 

[time]

I'm fairly confident that it's all DHCP from the router (192.168.0.0).

 

[Mercutio]

Check anyway, willya?

Some routers assign either a different subnet or a different IP range to wireless vs. wired clients and that would in fact mess up SMB networking.

 

[Chewy509]

Firewall installed/running on Laptop??? Try turning it off.

What's the LAN Manager authentication level set to on all PCs? XPSP2 in some circumstances set it too high, and won't talk to older OSes?

PS. start > run > gepdit.msc
Browse to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options > Network Security: LAN Manager Authentication Level. Change to lowest, and reboot.

PPS. I assume you're able to ping all the PCs from the laptop and vice versa?

PPPS. Simple file sharing enabled? If so, turn it off and set up appropriate user accounts on the 3x PCs.

 

[time]

Good stuff. Obviously, I disabled the firewall (doh!) and tried adding the client user id to the host PC (group = "Power Users"). It may be a few days before I can try the other things, so thanks for the ideas so far.

Merc, the other wireless PC works, plus it's only a basic Netgear router - I don't think it even supports two subnets?

 

[Mercutio]

I've definitely had a problem with that in the past, and on commodity hardware. I don't remember whose. Just that it wasn't Linksys.

 

[Fushigi]

I've been using NetGear routers for some time and don't recall a config option for multiple subnets. At least not on the 6xx and 8xx series of consumer-grade equipment.

Also, Desktop 2 is noted as wireless so I wouldn't think this is an addressing or wireless v. wired issue. This can also easily be tested by wiring the laptop to the router & testing it hard-wired v. wireless.