Installing printer on two individual computers

[Deleted User]

How about a 2 USB Port Share Switch?

http://www.cabledepot.co.uk/port-share-switch-p-402.html?gclid=CPqzgpSzwr0CFUTHtAodZ1cAvg

RumRat

Am I missing something here? Surely all you need to do is turn on file and printer sharing on the connected PC and the laptop will be able to use the printer when on the same network?

debitcardmayhem

RumRat wrote: »

Am I missing something here? Surely all you need to do is turn on file and printer sharing on the connected PC and the laptop will be able to use the printer when on the same network?

Not much, but plugging the printer into the router means no need to switch on the PC

debitcardmayhem

mioliere wrote: »

Je ne savais pas que! Merci beaucoup pour l'information. Bonne journ!e!

De rien mon ami

RumRat

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Not much, but plugging the printer into the router means no need to switch on the PC

True, which is fine if the Router is in a convenient position.;)

mioliere

Bedsit Bob - thanks for the link. I didn't know there was such a device and, as it's cheap, I will buy one anyway!

RumRat - I am not very technical and don't understand about networking, mainly because I don't understand the jargon!

Many thanks to you all!

mioliere

Now that I know, thanks to Bedsit Bob, that these things exist, I've been Googling and just found this on Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D6BIW9Q/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2Y7KRMOXC5OE1 It's dirt cheap but a brand name I recognise, so may be worth trying.

RumRat

mioliere wrote: »

Bedsit Bob - thanks for the link. I didn't know there was such a device and, as it's cheap, I will buy one anyway!

RumRat - I am not very technical and don't understand about networking, mainly because I don't understand the jargon!

Many thanks to you all!

Do you connect your laptop wirelessly or plug it into the router every time you use it?
If it's wireless, you already have a network.

macman

Networking to share files and printers under W7/8 or Vista is not the black art it used to be. But any of those to XP...forget it. I have managed it, but only by hit and miss, and never really knew how.

mioliere

RumRat - don't laugh but I email what I want to print as an attachment to myself (from my Win7 laptop to my Win XP desktop, which means changing the format to make it compatible with XP) then print it that way. I have the printer installed on my desktop, not the laptop because I don't know if I can have it installed on both. This should tell you exactly how computer illiterate I am! As my desktop is really ancient and slow, and takes ages to 'warm up' these days, I would rather print directly from the laptop.