Sharing a printer

[danieldalio]

Hi everybody,
This is my problem:
I have two computers and one printer.
I need to share the printer.
Somrbody in the main office told me to buy an "auto switch" and install it.
The computers are about 20 feet apart and the printer is connected to one of them via USB.
Can somebody help me?
Thanks

[Martin]

If your computers are networked, you don't need an autoswitch. Just share the printer on the network from the computer it's attached to.

Control Panel > Printers & Faxes > Right click on the printer icon and select Sharing

You will then have to find the network printer from the other computer.

For future reference, this is a support forum for the product vBulletin, not a general computer help forum :)

[Quillz]

If you're on WinXP, you should be able to set up a network and have them share the printer wirelessly.

[Vile]

Yeah, do as Martin stated. As long as you don't mind having it physically hooked up to one of the computers and keeping it on, this works just fine.

Also, once the printer is shared from the system its' hooked up to, it may be easisr if you add it to the 2nd computer by specficially indicating the computer name, followed by the printer name. (if the "browse for printer" doesn't display the printer) i.e. "\\COMPUTERNAME\PRINTERNAME"
Ex: "\\danieldalio\printer"

To find out what the computer name is, Right Click My Computer-->Computer Name (tab)

Once the printer is added, it will show up in CP as PRINTER MODEL on COMPUTER NAME. See screenshot for an example of the network printer I have setup on my system.

If you're on WinXP, you should be able to set up a network and have them share the printer wirelessly.
If you mean wirelessly in terms of having the printer NOT hooked up to any PC and being completly wireless, you would need a wireless print server. If you mean wireless in the sense that it will be hooked up to one computer physically (usb) and added as a network computer on the 2nd PC, then you are correct.

[Quillz]

Yeah, do as Martin stated. As long as you don't mind having it physically hooked up to one of the computers and keeping it on, this works just fine.

Also, once the printer is shared from the system its' hooked up to, it may be easisr if you add it to the 2nd computer by specficially indicating the computer name, followed by the printer name. (if the "browse for printer" doesn't display the printer) i.e. "\\COMPUTERNAME\PRINTERNAME"
Ex: "\\danieldalio\printer"

To find out what the computer name is, Right Click My Computer-->Computer Name (tab)

Once the printer is added, it will show up in CP as PRINTER MODEL on COMPUTER NAME. See screenshot for an example of the network printer I have setup on my system.


If you mean wirelessly in terms of having the printer NOT hooked up to any PC and being completly wireless, you would need a wireless print server. If you mean wireless in the sense that it will be hooked up to one computer physically (usb) and added as a network computer on the 2nd PC, then you are correct.
I meant it in the second regard. We have a WLAN at my house, and the main printer is hooked up to my PC, but all the other PCs and laptops in the house can print to it.