Why doesn't my wireless printer work on my network with sharing enabled?

1. Determine the Type of Wireless Printer

You'll be using the wireless router to connect the new wireless printer to your home network so make sure the router is up and running. Most new computers and wireless printers are equipped with either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities. If your printer is not wireless you can purchase a wireless card that plugs into a USB port.
2. Select the Location of the Wireless Printer

The wireless printer should be set up in a place at home or in the office that is accessible to everyone and where there is ample space for paper, printer ink and other supplies. If you are using Bluetooth wireless you may want to give this some thought since Bluetooth printers have a smaller wireless range than Wi-Fi printers.
3. Enable Printer Sharing

The server computer's operating system must be informed that the printer you are adding to the network is a wireless printer. (The server computer is the one the printer is connected to.)

In Windows Vista, this is done by accessing the network settings in the Control Panel and then activating file and printer sharing in the local area network settings.

For Windows XP go to Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware, "View installed printers or fax printers." Right-click on your printer and select "Sharing", then select "Share this Printer." Give the printer a name and click OK.
4. Add the Wireless Printer to any other Computers on your Network

The other computers on the network must also be set up for using the wireless printer. To do this in Windows Vista, open the Control Panel in the classic view and then open Printers. Right click on the printer that is going to be shared, and then open Properties. In Properties, check the box that allows the printer to be a shared device.

For Windows XP you will need to do the following:

• Open Control Panel, Printers and Faxes, and click on "Add a printer."
• This will take you into a wizard to find the printer you shared previously.
• Click Next until you are at the Local or Network Printer page.
• Select "A network printer or a printer attached to another computer" and click Next.
• Now click "Browse for a printer" and click Next. This will display your workgroup, the PCs connected to it and any printers that are attached to them.
• Click on the wireless printer you shared earlier and click Next. [This should install the driver automatically. If not, you may need to get the CD software that came with the printer.]
• Now click Yes to make the wireless printer the default printer for this PC (or No if the computer already has one attached to it).
• Click Finish.

5. Troubleshooting Wireless Printers

Both this computer and the one the wireless printer is attached to might need a reboot. If you're not seeing the computer it is attached to, double-check that all computers have the same network name: go to Control Panel, Performance & Maintenance, "See basic information about your computer." From there click on "Computer Name" and your workgroup will be displayed.

If you're not seeing the printer, make sure it's switched on. If printer still doesn't work, you may need to install the printer driver using the software CD that came with it.

Depending on the model you own, most Sony Viao laptops have a small slide switch along the front edge.

This is pretty simple. All you have to do is share your printer by Go to control panel then to printers and faxes right click on the printer you want to set up go to properties then go to sharing tab select share this printer put a name for the shared printer no spaces once you have finished hit ok now to install the printer on another pc just go to the computer u want make sire u are hooked up to your network and go to control panel printer and faxes and ad a printer then network printer u should be able to brows the printer and select your printer

your best bet is to install network magic to control your wireless network. http://www.purenetworks.com/product/basic.php the essentials is the best option for you. it may cost $29.99 . from this site u can easily do this

1. All computers should have installed and enabled file and printer sharing, which you can see and change in the properties of the network connection.
2. All computers should have enabled file and printer sharing as an exception for the Windows firewall.
3. Sometimes you need to install the IPX protocol on the network connection.
   

Printer Sharing (This is good for Windows 2000, XP and Vista)
Sharing will be very easy if your network is working.
You need to consider the computer where the printer connected as the "Host" and the other computer that wants to print to that printer as the "Client".
Before you do such sharing, you need to acquire each computer's IP address.
You can do it by accessing MSDOS Prompt and typing in ipconfig/all. Write down your IP addresses and the share name on a paper.
For your Host:
Install the driver, make sure that you can print on direct bi-directional connection (such as USB).
Go to Control Panel >Printers and Faxes* >Sharing >Share this printer >Type in your share name, good example is PRINTER (this is case sensitive).
For your Client:
Install the driver, make sure that you can print, same with the Host.
Go to Control Panel >Printers and Faxes* >Properties >Ports >Add Port >Add local port type in \\ (the IP Addressof the Host) \ (share name), click OK.
ex. \\192.168.1.3\PRINTER (watch your backslash, no spaces)
*Term used is "Printers" for Windows Vista and Windows 2000

I get the same problem with my Lexmark x4580 when I enable WPA2. However, WPA AES with a pre-shared key (ASCII) works fine.

It's because your printer is set for sharing on a windows based network. Mac has a different network for sharing printers not compatible with windows.

The only way to get it to work on the network is to get a print server either wired or wireless and connect the printer that way to your network. Then everyone can use it.

hello Danj29,

I suggest you make sure that your Vista is configured to connect to a private network. To do this follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click Network, click Properties.
-The Network Sharing Center window displays the network type in parenthesis after the network name.

2. To the right of the network name and type click Customize.
3. In the Set Network Location dialog box, click Private, and then click Next.
4. In the Successfully set network settings dialog box, click Close

By changing your network location type to private, network discovery is automatically enabled in the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window. The following additional file and printer sharing options must be manually enabled:

• File sharing
  
• Public folder sharing
  
• Printer sharing
  
• Password protected sharing
  

When all of these sharing and discovery options are enabled, your computer can:

• Locate other computers and devices on your home network and have other computers locate your computer
  
• Share its folders
  
• Share its Public folder
  
• Share its printers
  
• Require user names and passwords for other computers that connect to the shared folders and printers of this computer
  

To enable file sharing, do the following:

1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to File sharing.
   
2. Within the File sharing settings, click Turn on file sharing, and then click Apply.
   

To enable public folder sharing, do the following:

1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Public folder sharing.
   
2. Within the Public folder sharing settings, click one of the following:
   
   • If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the network can access the Public share to open files, but not create or change files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open files. This is the default setting.
     
   • If you want to share the public folder so that other computers on the network can access the Public share to open files and also create or change files, click Turn on sharing so anyone with network access can open, change, and create files.
     
3. Click Apply.
   

To enable printer sharing and share all of your connected printers, do the following:

1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Printer sharing.
   
2. Within the Printer sharing settings, click Turn on printer sharing, and then click Apply.
   

[Optional] To enable password protected sharing, do the following:

1. In the Sharing and Discovery section of the Network and Sharing Center window, click the down arrow next to Password protected sharing.
   
2. Within the Password protected sharing settings, click Turn on password protected sharing, and then click Apply.
   

Hope you find this helpful info and thanks for using the FixYa service
Kind regards

You must have a network set up, and you must enable file and printer sharing on the desktop. The laptop and the desktop should be in the same workgroup. Some firewalls will cause this problem.
Start with the network setup wizard in Settings/Network.