Home networking
 

The raw materials:

1 PC, stationary, Windows XP
1 laptop, Windows XP
1 router, generic
1 printer, kickass

The setup now:

The router handles the internet connection and both PCs are connected to it, no direct PC-to-PC connection. The printer is new and just sitting there collecting dust, which we want to change. Can you mash this stuff up into one convenient little network with both PCs having access to the printer (and maybe a convenient shared folder)? It's perfectly sufficient if the printer is connected to one PC and the other PC accesses it that way; in fact it's preferred as otherwise we'd have to buy a crapload of cables and additional hardware.

I know how the components are supposed to go together but I've never actually done this, so a little step-by-step help and/or tips would be cool.

If the printer has an Ethernet cord you can hook it directly to the router, and from there you can connect to it from the network. Check your instruction manual for this, if not, keep reading.

Either way, for all these you have to set up the network as infrastructure (so that you can connect to other pc's files and equipment through the network, something I can't do from my simple connection just to share internet.

The next big step is to install the printer to the stationary pc (barring things I've previously mentioned, remember to check your printer's guide) and in theory it should show up as an asset to your pc on "my network places".

However, in order for anyone to access it, you have to go to to "printers and faxes" on your computer (from control panel) and right click the printer, and click "sharing".

This should hopefully open the printer up to anyone other computer on the network.

If this doesn't open it up, check your firewalls on both computer, and make sure the printer is operating.

Failing that, (or if you can only share internet on your router) get "Printer Anywhere" a free program that you install on both laptop and computer, and it allows you to print to another pc's computer over the internet.

It's what I do, cuz I can't get anything on my wifi router to talk to anything else!

Pyros covered pretty much everything but try and hook your printer up to the router if you can. It should only need one extra ethernet cable.
What kind of router are you using though?

Uh, computer cables go in at one end, internet cables out the other. I'm not entirely sure what the qualities to describe a router by are other than "wireless" and "with cables." Gimme until tomorrow to dig up the manual and documentation though.

So since we're adressing it: does a printer need an ethernet port to be able to be hooked up to the router directly or will the normal USB one do and we just need the right cable? The only way to hook this one up to anything is via USB, for reference. I want to say that doesn't work.

Depends on your router. Does it has a dedicated printer USB port on it somewhere? If so then yes.

I have a question about networks, and I don't feel it merits its own thread so:
If you have two different networks in your house, as in two separate routers connected to different phone lines, can you connect them together so that a computer on one network can see a computer on another network?

Yes. It's a little tricky to set up, depending on your router config, but your best bet is just to get a switch and hook up both phone lines and all computers to it.

No such luck, but now that you mention it such a device would maybe even be worth buying. We'll look into it.

Other than that this is a perfectly basic broadband router, Edimax BR-6104 if that's of any use.

In the meantime have you tried setting up the printer on one computer as Pyros outlines?
That should work but let us know of problems.

Well, one problem would be setting up the network in the first place, which absolutely does not want to work. At least not with this router, it seems.

Definitely gonna set up the printer today at least on one of the PCs, and if I don't find another solution I'll just go with this Printer Anywhere.