Home network XP/Win 7

Hey folks. I've had a home network setup with 2 computers (laptop and desktop) running XP Home and a third laptop running windows 7, which shared a printer connected to the desktop, and worked fine. I recently reformatted the Windows 7 laptop, and now can't get it to share the printer. When I go to ADD PRINTER in NETWORK, it brings up 7 different generic printers, labelled 0 through 6, but none of them listed as BROTHER MFC-490CW (The printer I use, and what it was listed as before the reformat). When I've tried selecting various ones to install, but it keeps telling me that Windows cannot find the drivers. Directing it to the drivers from the disc that came with the printer isn't working. Any ideas? When I originally set it up I just joined the network and everything set up automatically. I've checked my network sharing settings and file and printer sharing is enabled on all computers (As it shoule be, because it worked before). Thanks.

 

I have a older MFC-410C and I've had some battles with it after the initial install.

A few things come to mind. Can you share the printer on another computer and have the reformatted one connect through the share? Not a permanent solution, it will get you printing for the moment though.

Instead of trying to find the printer on the network, you can usually force the install by coping down the settings from another computer and inputting them manually. By connect via the shared printer you will have already loaded the driver and you will be able to see it later in the install in a drop down box.

Here is how I have forced it, might take a little playing around with.
In a computer that has the printer installed, right click the brother printer and go to properties.
switch to the port tab
select the port that shows the printer
click on configure port. Write down all of the settings.

The steps to this might have altered slightly, I'm on XP right now
In the reformatted computer (add the printer via a share from another computer first)
Add a printer
Local printer (uncheck the plug and play option)
Create a new port - Standard TCP/IP
- in here add the IP or name that you copied from the other computer
- if it asks what kind of network card, generic card is ok
The next step will ask you for the printer brand and model. Pick anything, we're going to change it.
Name the printer, don't share or print a test page. Install should finish.

Now go to the printers and right click on the new printer. Go to properties.
Go to Advanced tab. Select your printer model from the drop down list.
Go to the Ports tab. Select the brother printer that is on the computer, not the shared one. Click on Configure Port
Here you are going to double check your settings against the ones on the other computer. Make sure all of the settings on this are correct. I'm fairly certain I had to change to Raw to LPR and add an LPR queue name, but that might have been another model.

Try a test page.

(I wrote this the way i take notes for myself, sort of a shorthand. If there is any part of it that is confusing or that you don't see, please let me know. It can be hard to follow the way I don't break up the steps. Since you seem fairly well versed, you should be ok)

 

Just realized something about the forced install.

It's likely going to let you print. However, advanced functions like scan to pc, aren't going to work with this. For that you will need the suite from Brother to reinstall those functions, or the install disks.

 

Thanks for the reply. I actually got around the driver issue by connecting the reformatted laptop via USB to the printer, and letting Windows install the drivers. So that issue seems to be taken care of. However, I have a new problem. For some reason the reformatted laptop keeps losing the other computers on the network intermittently. They were showing last night, now they're gone. EVerything worked perfectly for months before the reformat, so I'm confident this is some kind of settings issue. Any ideas?

 

I should also mention, the other computers on the network can see the reformatted laptop, it just can't see them. And when I ping the host computer (desktop w/printer) I get a reply.

 

Why not get the full functionality of your printer by installing the software for it from Brother? It came with a software CD so why not use it? Or, visit their website, where you find a later version of the software which can be downloaded. Windows' "driver" won't give you the full functionality that Brother's software will give you.

And, why not connect your printer to your router so that any of the computers can use it without another computer (to which the printer is connected) needing to be turned on? Your printer is network-capable. It offers the flexibility to share with multiple users using wireless (802.11b/g) or wired (Ethernet) network connection. See http://www.brother-usa.com/mfc/modeldetail.aspx?PRODUCTID=MFC490CW for info.

 

I thought about installing the complete software suite but in reality, if I were to use the scanner I would need to phsically place the document in the printer anyway, in which case I would be standing beside the desktop computer. So all I really want to be able to do is print documents from my laptop, as I was able to before. As far as connecting it via WiFi, I did that initially and was having trouble with it screwing up the WiFi connection to my other computers. Either way, good suggestions, but I think I'm going to try and get it set up the way I had it before. Worked good for me... I think the issue now is getting my reformatted laptop to recognize the other two computers on the network, I think that will solve my issue.