Here's the scenario....

I have a Dell desktop machine with a Brother printer connected to it via a USB cable, connected to a home WiFi network.

I want to 'share' that printer such that my laptop (also on the same WiFi network) may print to it.

My GoogleFoo efforts have failed me as everything I've read and tried thus far regarding sharing has failed to allow the laptop to reach the printer.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Open up devices and share the printer on the machine the printer is connected to.

Then you have to "Add Network Printer" on the laptop.

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:
Open up devices and share the printer on the machine the printer is connected to.

Then you have to "Add Network Printer" on the laptop.

Yep, I tried that and the "Add Printer" scan doesn't find the printer. Interestingly, the printer shows 'Ready' when I bring up a document to print on the laptop, but fails when I send it through to print.

Link Brother Printer Sharing

Best I could find,

Assuming Win10:
Settings, Devices, Manage, Printer Properties, Sharing, Share this printer, Apply

You just have to share out the printer.
However, if there are a mismatch of OS versions (different from the server or the client) then you may have to install a driver to match.
Printers today are more compliant.
In the past with XP, W7 and other various versions then this was more applicable, probably not an issue today.

If the Brother printer is a WiFi capable model, use that for connectivity to all of your computers, instead of the USB cable.

That's what I do with Brother printers both at home and at the hangar. No cables, neither USB nor ethernet, just WiFi.

Windows updates can break print sharing.

Broke it last January 2022 and October 2021 and other times.

Uninstall the printer on the desktop.

Reinstall the printer on the desktop.

try plugging the printer into the laptop and installing it.

It should automatically install the correct driver.

Then connect it back to the desktop and go through the previously listed sharing steps.

Post if this works

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
If the Brother printer is a WiFi capable model, use that for connectivity to all of your computers, instead of the USB cable.

That's what I do with Brother printers both at home and at the hangar. No cables, neither USB nor ethernet, just WiFi.

Unfortunately, this is an older Brother that has no WiFi capabilities. And due to a problem with the ethernet port on it, I'm left with only a USB connection to my desktop PC. The printer still works great, I'm just limited on my connection options.

Set the printer's IP address, subnet mask and gateway statically.

Then use the add print dialog and put that up address in, it will "see" the printer and prompt for the drivers, should work without hassle.

Use x.x.x.50

(x in place of your network's range)

That should never conflict with any devices.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Set the printer's IP address, subnet mask and gateway statically.

Then use the add print dialog and put that up address in, it will "see" the printer and prompt for the drivers, should work without hassle.

Use x.x.x.50

(x in place of your network's range)

That should never conflict with any devices.

The printer is not network able.
USB

Yeah, I saw ethernet, then went back and realized it was not working and all he has is USB. I'm helping move my daughter and grandkids across country and using my phone. Can't see the whole text and scrolling while reading.

Sorry for the mess...

This is just beyond annoying. I apparently have the configuration right on the desktop machine as the Brother printer now shows up as a shared device in the Control Panel app.

As suggested above, I uninstalled the entire Brother software/driver package on the laptop, plugged the printer directly into a USB port on it, and then reinstalled the current Brother programs/drivers package. The laptop then printed to the printer fine while connected. Swap the USB cable back to the desktop machine and try to add a new printer to the laptop, and it refuses to find the printer. To say I'm a bit befuddled by this would be putting it mildly. I just don't see where there should be a problem/issue. Anybody else have any ideas?

Are both the Desktop and the laptop on the same MS workgroup?

0-0

Maybe these guys?

Brother Customer Service at 877-BROTHER (877-276-8437)

You may not have file/printer network discovery turned on, on the laptop.
If you open a file explorer window and click on network and the printer doesn't show up, there should be a bar at the top of that window that will tell you it's off, and to click a button on that bar to turn it on.

0-0 may also be onto something as well...

If the printer is properly shared over the network, it should have a Desktop related IP.

Find it and copy it.
Then paste it while adding the network shared printer.

If and when that is sorted out, having the proper OS printer drivers is the next step if both OS are different.

Find the Desktop Printer IP, it’s your desktop computer plus something else.

0-0