Printing from xp netbook to Printer on Vista Laptop..Help!!

[bwolfe]

Ok, I have a xp netbook (wireless), a vista laptop (wireless) w Canon printer, and a vista desktop (wired in) w HP printer (these are the only ones I really care about). I Have a Canon iP1800 printer attached via usb to the laptop, and shared to the network. I have an HP printer attached via usb to the Vista desktop and shared to the network.

I can print fine from the Vista laptop, and from the Vista desktop to each others printers, and I have printed from the netbook before, but the problem is getting the XP netbook to print takes magic!

I played with the problem and searched google, and tried things for multiple hours last night until I was ready to punch the LCD screen, and all of a sudden printing started working to the HP printer on the desktop, but not the Canon on the Laptop.

If it matters, from the Netbook I can ping the IP of the Laptop, but not the hostname? to print uses hostname, therefore, I am assuming that is why I cant print. Why is this happening, and what do I need to do to fix this.

PS I am also having problems accessing files on the network via the netbook, and sometimes cannot access the vista laptops files from multiple other network pcs, but printing is the main issue.

General maybe usefull info.

Running netgear router
have avg free on netbook and laptop, Symantec on the desktop (need to switch to avg sometime soon)
Internet works fine everywere.
Tried deleting and re adding the printer on the netbook
Get the error "Cannot communicate with the printer.....Enable bi-directional support on in the blah blah"---checked and it is enabled, even tried disabling it...no luck
I tried with both windows firewalls disabled last night
Can ping from Vista Laptop to XP netbook with hostname as well, just fine.

Help??

Thanks in advance guys!
Brian =)

 

[saint19]

Dissable the firewall on vista and xp, and mae you sure that the driver is the correct for XP, if the printer is installed on vista, the installation program try to install the vista driver and maybe don't try to install the xp driver.

 

[bwolfe]

I will find my install cd tonight, and give that a try, but besides the printer driver issue, why wouldn't i be able to see the laptops shared files and not even ping the hostname, but opposite direction works fine. Even if i get the correct drivers for the printer, if I cant ping the hostname, will the printer work? I ask, because in the printer settings, it prints to port \\xxxxxxxx-laptop\canon iP1800. If i cant even ping \\xxxxxxx-laptop, can it ever see the printer? Sorry if its dumb question, but I cant figure it out.

 

[bwolfe]

Ok, heres a weird one for ya. Wife turned on the netbook and can see the laptop in shared folders, but I cannot see the netbook from the laptop. Funny thing, the netbook printed without a problem despite the fact that the printer dialog still came up saying that "Cannot communicate with the printer.....Enable bi-directional support on in the blah blah" while it is printing!!!! WTF!!! I am getting very annoyed. I am sure later tonight or tomorrow, she wont be able to print again. I do not understand it!

This all happened without me doing a dang thing that saint19 recommended. Firwalls, antivirus on, didn't install or change printer driver or nothing.

 

[bwolfe]

Nevermind, sounds like no one else knows either, it has me stumped. I think its just crappy vista home. Last night I went ahead and wall mounted a 22" lcd moniter ran 25ft vga, 3.5mm and usb into some custom wallplates and am going to be using my main desktop rig remotely and in the office instead of trying to use the damn laptop at the kitchen counter. Its better (and cooler!) this way anyways!

I will sometime figure out the troublesome network problems that seem to be happening with the Vista Laptop the most, but until then, I am happy!