So, pretty much everything is set up nicely now. I got to install the printer (which is connected downstairs to an XP machine).

No joy.

Further investigation has found the following:

The XP machine can see the W7 machine and shared folders (but access is denied(which is fine as I dont think Ive granted access) - both on the same workgroup.
The W7 machine cannot see anything other than itself and the router in the network centre
The W7 machine is connected wirelessly, and the wireless signal widget in the taskbar is reporting "internet access" rather than "Internet and local access" - I think this might be part of the problem?
The wireless card is a netgear WG311T card.

This all worked fine on Vista (which thankfully is dual booted)

Does anyone have any suggestions, in laymans terms? Ive tried installing the driver I used for vista and it still reports just internet access.

Having not be able to figure out how to get my net access back Ive bitten the bullet and have begun the windows install process all-over again. The repair option didnt want to know ><

Yay, 3 days to effectively kill my W7 install ><

Does anyone reckon that if I were to get a USB wifi dongle, it might solve the problem of no local access? Could it also improve the signal, given that the router/access point is on the ground floor and travels through about 4 walls, before going through the ceiling and into my room. If someone turns the microwave on (below my room) I essentially lose my connection whilst it is on.

Basically, could a modern USB dongle provide better signal/speed than a 4 year old netgear Wireless PCI card?

This is nothing different to Vista unfortunatly.  There are some funny settings to get Vista to link to an XP machine for printer sharing.

Youd be best of with a WGPS606 from Netgear.

Hmm, good suggestion. I had been thinking of actually using my spare copy of Win 7 to dual boot the parents rig so I could boot it up in that and just use the homegroup setting!


Ive ended up getting one + a new antenna which will hopefully boost my signal a little.

I find it odd that the network would on occasion appear and then disappear 5 mins later. Nothing AFAIK was going on in the background to effect it!

Im kind of intrigued how the print server will connect. I mean, will this comp still connect to the wireless router, which will connect to the print server? Will I potentially have problems with wireless signals causing interference with each other?

I gave up trying to use usb or pci wireless network devices with windows vista, not one of them worked and the networking system in vista (and am guessing similar in 7) is amazingly worse than in XP which was already pretty bad.

I currently run a wireless bridge to my router and have that connected to a switch in my room that all my other devices connect to by wire and wireless to the access point that is bridging the gap. It works well and barring the very occasional drop across the bridge (never happened for more than 30 seconds at most once a day) the net is stable for the first time since I moved my computer to this side of the house.

Print server and antenna arrived today.

Antenna seems to have improved signal by about 5-10% in vista, and has done nothing in win 7 (according to the wireless network gadget which I have on both)

Print server has been fine to install. Didnt realise it wasnt bi-directional though so Ive exchanged the pain of having to have the parents computer on with the pain of not quite knowing how much ink is left.

At least the Canon has lights for each ink cartridge that flash faster as the ink runs out so its not too bad. Cheers for the suggestion, now the only thing stopping me from using W7 full time is the fact that the client of my current contract uses version 9.2 of some software and only 9.3 works on W7. At least the contact is nearly over and the uni is up to 9.3, so after this month I should be able to make the move properly!

Aye. Ive noticed this more with the refills, they are right about them being higher capacity. I currently have about 5 sets of refills (still cost less than 1 set of official ones). Had I not had so much ink to spare I might have just bought a network printer :/

Thinking about it, the refills cost so little that they almost put me in profit so long as I keep the empties and make use of Staples £1 off per empty cartridge offer!

Problem I have is most of the time when I print from home I want colour. Stupid as I then went and got a crapload of refills so the print quality is now dire.

Strange. Ive got the same print server running a canon mp160, an Epson c900 with no qualms