using wireless on a macbook

[mhuk01]

i have just got my macbook and would like to connect it wirelessly to my pc to share files, and even print (printer is on the pc). Currently both the mac and pc are connected wirelessly to the internet through a router.

what is the best way of doing this. straight from computer to computer, or through the router?

cheers

 

[mad jew]

Definitely go through the router. We have a guide that you might be interested in when it comes to setting this up.

 

[mhuk01]

that's great, but it doens't tell me how to share the printer!

 

[mad jew]

Fair enough. Maybe try following these steps.

 

[mhuk01]

that's for osx 10.3 i'm on 10.4

I really don't understand how to do this. Do i have to manually add details to the macbook about the printer or should it just automatically connect to the printer and find it?

 

[mad jew]

Yeah, the steps should still be the same. However, if you install Bonjour for Windows on the PC, it should simply be recognised and added normally through Printer Setup Utility. I emphasise the should.

 

[mhuk01]

Yeah, the steps should still be the same. However, if you install Bonjour for Windows on the PC, it should simply be recognised and added normally through Printer Setup Utility. I emphasise the should.

i've just tried it but it looks like thats for discovering a printer on the mac, whereas my printer is on the pc. It recognises the printer and i add it, but when i print it says unable to connect to SAMBA host.

 

[mad jew]

i've just tried it but it looks like thats for discovering a printer on the mac, whereas my printer is on the pc.

Well, sort of. It's intended as a bridging language between the two platforms so it should mean that Macs have an easier time finding printers on their Windows brethren. Obviously this isn't always the case though.

It recognises the printer and i add it, but when i print it says unable to connect to SAMBA host.

Maybe check this page for anything that might be causing you grief.

 

[mhuk01]

i've now managed to get it so that you press print, it says printing on both the mac and pc, and paper is about to go through, but it then stops and nothing prints!

 

[mad jew]

What did you change to get this far? What sort of printer is it? Does it print normally when connected directly to the Mac?

 

[mhuk01]

the printer name had a space, so i got rid of it.

The mac says its printed so must have sent the document to the pc, but the pc just says printing and disappears, with nothing going through the printer!

 

[mhuk01]

btw the printer is a dell 720, but surely it shouldn't matter about that because the drivers are needed for the pc end?

 

[dextertangocci]

Buy the august issue Macworld, and it explains EVERYTHING on how to network, share printers, control the pc from the mac etc

 

[aristobrat]

btw the printer is a dell 720, but surely it shouldn't matter about that because the drivers are needed for the pc end?

Even on Windows when you print to a remote printer, you need that remote printer's drivers installed *locally* on any computer that's going to use that remote printer.

 

[Moe]

Even on Windows when you print to a remote printer, you need that remote printer's drivers installed *locally* on any computer that's going to use that remote printer.

Word!

 

[reburrcca]

Even on Windows when you print to a remote printer, you need that remote printer's drivers installed *locally* on any computer that's going to use that remote printer.

I learned this the hard way on my MB. Such a pain, but worth it.