Re: New Router and Sharing files

Kay wrote:
I just installed a new LInksys WRT N router. Previously, I had a G router. It is hardwired to a desktop running xp 3. I have a wirless HP Pro printer on the network. I need to share the main computer's folders with the wirless laptop. The wireless laptop connects to the internet through the netwok,but can no longer see or connect to the main computer on the workgroup. I can print from the main computer to the printer, but cannot print from the wireless laptop. Linskys insists there is nothing wrong with the network, but with the computer. The files are shared, the laptop is only a year old and could always connect to the network before i switched to the N router. Any suggestions would be very appreciated. I am desperate at this point. I am now using my laptop as my main computer in my business office and can't print or access files on the main.

You haven't provided much information to go on, but I suspect that the problem(s) have to do with the configuration of your firewalls and/or the printer port setup.

That is, the new router probably uses a different subnet than the previous one. Check your firewall configuration (on both computers) to make sure that you are permitting traffic from the correct subnet (for your new Linksys router, that's probably 192.168.1.1-192.168.1.255).

This should fix the file sharing problem but may or may not fix the printer problem. If not ...

Right click on the icon for your wireless printer in Printers and Faxes (on the laptop; you said the desktop is OK), select Properties, click the Ports tab, and highlight the port that is selected for use with this printer (it should be a "HP Standard TCP/IP port"). Click the "Configure Port" button and check the box for "Printer name or IP address." If it is a name rather than an IP address, make sure that the box to "Always print to this device, even if its IP address changes" is checked. For more reliable operation, change the printer to use a static IP address (see the printer's User Guide), making sure that the address you select is (a) in the correct subnet and (b) outside of the range of IP addresses provided by the router's DHCP server. Then enter the static IP address on the configure port page. Don't forget to make a corresponding change on the other computer!


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Lem -- MS-MVP

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