Unable to connect to shared printer

What @Samuria said.

Assign a static IP address to the printer, on the router.

The best way to pick a static IP address is to assign it a number either below, or above the DHCP range.

Example:

The range for assignment is something like 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.70

For the static IP, you would pick something like 192.168.1.49, 192.168.1.48 or 192.168.1.71, 192.168.1.73

This helps prevent IP address "collision", which can happen if the router assigns a number that is already taken by a static IP address.

You might want to rethink the HomeGroup approach to networking.

The simplest way to do network access is to have identical User Ids and Passwords on each system.

Then, in Network and Sharing Center -

Private profile -

Turn on Network Discovery
Turn on File and Printer Sharing

Guest or Public -

Everything turned off

All networks -

Turn off Public Folder Sharing
Turn on 128-bit Encryption
Turn on Password Protected Sharing

After that, set the permissions for those users on each system.

Doesn't require users to physically log in to access, but limits who can log in, and what they can do.

I’m not as technically proficient as most on here and my 90 year old brain needs refreshing from time to time. Where can I find the printer IP address? I can try that first just to see if I can connect to the B printer before I go further. My network router is the same AT&T box that connects both PCs to the internet and brings the UVerse TV to us. I have access to the router settings and can try that but would like to see if I can connect to the printer using its current iPad address. On the Devices and Printers page of PC A I can see the PC B icon but have noticed a Status: Not Connected. I assumed this icon indicated I had access to PC B but maybe I do not. The procedure, \\B\printername , I have been using tells be that it is connecting to printername on B so I assumed that A knew where B was and was trying to add it to A. This attempt lasts longer than a few minutes until it times out and tells me it cannot find anything.

- - - Updated - - -

I looked in my router an found the IP address for PC B but could not see anything showing the B printer IP address. At this point I still had not been able to install the B printer on PC A. I took the B IP address and on the A PC I used it to try to install the B printer. This was successful, I thought, because I could then see the B printer on the Devices and Printers page on A. I could even see the B printer on the list of available printers when I wanted to print something. However, when I sent something from A to the B printer, it did not print, but showed it in queue. In summary, I finally got the B printer installed on the A PC, but I can’t print to it. It looks like I need to find where I can get the IP address of the B printer and find where it has to be entered into the router. Any ideas?

Yes, the router has a portal program available for use on a PC to set parameters in the router. I used it to see what the IP address was for PC B while the router was on. I did not see an ip for the printer nor a place to enter one. I plan to check with the AT&T techies to see if they can shed some light on it. I used the PC B IP address in the Add a Printer process and did get access to PC B but not the printer. I can send a test page from A to the B printer but it doesnÂ’t print. It shows up in the B print queue on the A PC. As a check I confirmed B can still send and print to both the A and B printers. PC A can print to the A printer but not print to the B printer. Thanks for the input

I think Roy has printers that are peripherals on his PC's, they aren't network printers. Are you suggesting he assign static IP's for his 2 PC's? I think he is looking for printer IP addresses to assign.

I don't have any advice, just trying to help clarify for Roy what you are asking him to do.

Off topic.

I think I remember you from the old Windows Secrets forum.