XP as a DNS??

[AMS100]

Hi, A quick question I cant seem to find the answer to on the web. I have a very small office network - 4 PCs (Well Laptops) and a Network printer. The network printer is not displaying as a device on the network. I gather from reading, this is because its name is not stored against its IP Address therefore, other PCs cannot see the printer by name - just IP Address. To get round this (i've also read!) I need to have a DNS. We have an XP machine on the network doing some other bits and what I'd like to know is if this can be configured to be my DNS?? I can find loads of info about setting up a DNS on 2000/3 server but nothing on XP. Any info is much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[mrmoneymatters]

Not that I know of.

Why do you need the printer to show up by name?

 

[NcCorduan]

You install the printer on your XP "server," and then share it by name, so that other users could access it after the fashion...

\\XPSERVER\PRINTER

NikcC---

 

[AMS100]

Thanks for the replies!
The printer doesn't really need to show up by name it just makes it look prettier (and should we expand to, lets say 2 printers! it may get confusing.) It also prevents users from searching for the printer on the network.

And yes. It looks like i'll be 'giving up' and taking it off the network and sharing it off the XP machine I spoke about. Just ashame to spend all that money on a posh network printer when we could have just bought any old thing.
Thanks again.

 

[mrmoneymatters]

Don't take it off the network, install it on each of the 4 machines by using the printer ip. It will then be local to all machines.

 

[OzCDN]

The standard procedure for this is to leave it directly attached to the network but have one static machine (i.e. a print server)set it up as a local printer through a "Standard TCP/IP" port. Then you share this "local printer" out.

This has serveral advantages including:
- centralized location for all network printers (if you get multiple printers)
- all print jobs are queued on the print server (frees up clients quicker)
- drivers are automatically downloaded to clients when they connect to the server the first time
- if the permissions are low enough ... visiting laptops can easilly add this printer from the server (and automatically get drivers)

I do not believe that it is common practice to leave a printer just dagngling off the network and have anyone and everyone connect to it directly.

And, of course, in your case, you will not need to set up a local DNS server.