Network help!

[SXRguyinMA]

Ok so I'm having network troubles at work, again.

Here's the network setup:
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/sportrider12584/network.png

Now, the computer I use is Counter 1, and this is the computer that the printer is directly connected to. The computer I'm having issues with is counter 2. Both are connected to the same workgroup (Main).

From Counter 1 I can view the server and Counter 2 in the network, but it won't let me connect to Counter 2, but I can connect to the server.

From Counter 2 when I view the workgroup, all I see is that computer, and I don't see counter 1 or the server. It lets me manually add the printer (\\counter1\LJ4100), and lets me go to preferences, but anytime I try to print it acts like it's printing, but I never see the icon in the tray, and nothing happens. No "This document failed to print" notice or anything. Then I go back to Counter 1 and the print spooler service is stopped.

When I try to print from Coutner 2, nothing happens, and it seems to cause the Print Spooler to stop on counter 1. The reason I think this is because Only after I try to print from counter 2 does the service stop. I restart it, and all is good.

Funny thing is it works sporadically. Less than a week ago we were printing from Counter 2 with zero issues. Now it won't work at all. :?

Both computers are P4 machines running WinXP Pro 32-bit.

Both have had fresh XP installs within the last 2 months, and have worked great.

[dr.walrus]

IPs manually assigned or using DHCP?

[mDust]

Can counter 2 connect to the internet? If not I'd say the problem is physical or network-driver related. If it can connect to the internet, change the workgroup name to something different, apply, then change it back to "Main." I don't think workgroup names are case sensitive but it might be good to check that out as well. Reboot. You could also try turning off "file and print sharing" on both counters and then turn it back on and see if that worked out any bugs.

EDIT:
IPs manually assigned or using DHCP?
I didn't even think of manually set IPs. A lot of POS software requires static IPs...especially for servers...that could be a very easy fix.

[SXRguyinMA]

IPs manually assigned or using DHCP?

no idea :? I'd assume it's just the automatically-assigned, because I never set any up. The POS software we use connects to the server, and just a client-end program runs on each computer. But it's not with just the POS software, I can't print from anything - wordpad, the web, nothing.


Can counter 2 connect to the internet? If not I'd say the problem is physical or network-driver related. If it can connect to the internet, change the workgroup name to something different, apply, then change it back to "Main." I don't think workgroup names are case sensitive but it might be good to check that out as well. Reboot. You could also try turning off "file and print sharing" on both counters and then turn it back on and see if that worked out any bugs.

EDIT:I didn't even think of manually set IPs. A lot of POS software requires static IPs...especially for servers...that could be a very easy fix.

Counter 2 can connect to the internet.

I'll try changing the workgroup name for it again, see if it works. I don't think they're case-sensitive, as when you type it in it always puts it in in caps.

If that fails I'll try the file/printer sharing thing. Thanks! +rep to both of you :D

[SXRguyinMA]

Tried it all, still no go. Occasionally I get a message from the "Print test page" saying that it couldn't be printed, and of course the troubleshooter does nothing (printer and network).

Everytime I try to print from Coutner 2 it stops the print spool service on Counter 1 lol :facepalm:

[mDust]

Dr. Walrus was likely thinking that there was an IP conflict. There should be a status tab on the router's configuration page. Somewhere in there it should list all the assigned IPs...make sure none of them have the same number in the 4th block. I would think that XP would recognize this error and notify you with a popup from the tray though.

Are both counters running the same printer driver? Can the printer be connected directly to the router? Can you manually add the other machines in counter 2's network places?

[SXRguyinMA]

I just checked, all the IP's are different.

counter 2: xxx.xxx.x.27
counter 1: xxx.xxx.x.39
Office 1: xxx.xxx.x.30
Office 2: xxx.xxx.x.36
office 3: xxx.xxx.x.22

[slaveofconvention]

Might sound odd but try this... (It won't help - but I'm wondering if you're having a similar problem to me)

Send a document to the printer from the remote PC.
Restart the PC with the printer attached.
Does it print on reboot? For some reason, mine does lol - I can't get anything to print over the network unless I reboot the Printer Host pc AFTER the print job is sent. It then prints it as soon as the PC starts up...

[SXRguyinMA]

no idea but I'll try it tomorrow!

[Konrad]

Weird problems like this can sometimes (rarely) be fixed by using shortcuts (\\counter2\, xxx.xxx.x.27, etc), right to the target drives or directories if necessary. Doesn't hurt to try, costs nothing, might even work.

Are all of the machines using the same IP gateway?
Do the \\server\ (or \\counter1\) admin settings need to be reconfigured? You might have password lockout "write permissions" or somesuch.

[artoodeeto]

only thing I know of is what happened with my network printer - until I assigned it a static IP (by looking at the printer port's properties to see what the auto-assigned IP was, then going to that IP in the web browser and on the printer's "web" page manually setting the IP to a static one). anyway, until I assigned it a static IP it worked sporadically from any computer on the network, but once it was static it's worked perfectly ever since.

[SXRguyinMA]

the printer isn't networked though, it's connected by parallel to one computer, then shared amongst the rest

[Konrad]

If it's an option, plug the printer into the server machine or straight into the hub.

[SXRguyinMA]

not an option. the printer is downstairs at the parts counter, server is upstairs on the other side of the building (with the modem and hub)

[SXRguyinMA]

Might sound odd but try this... (It won't help - but I'm wondering if you're having a similar problem to me)

Send a document to the printer from the remote PC.
Restart the PC with the printer attached.
Does it print on reboot? For some reason, mine does lol - I can't get anything to print over the network unless I reboot the Printer Host pc AFTER the print job is sent. It then prints it as soon as the PC starts up...

didn't work :?

[billygoat333]

Do you have the latest and greatest printer driver installed? might be worth a shot checking for that.

I've had this problem before, can't remember how I fixed it though. I am pretty sure it was a setting on the printer's host computer.