After upgrading from Windows 98 SE to Windows XP, the printer port on my D-Link router is no longer visible to this computer. However, it is visible to the other machines on the network: one running Windows XP and another running Windows 98. As recommended by the D-Link website, I have installed a TCP/IP printer port on the machine.

For routers such as the D-Link which have an onboard print server and for most network printers, in order to connect to the printer, each client machine needs to have a TCP/IP port installed. This allows the IP address of the printer (or print server, in this case) to be emulated as a port on the local computer. The printer driver can then be installed and pointed towards this ‘virtual port’ (as opposed to an actual port, such as a LPT or Parallel Port) for a path to the printer. Since the other machines on your network can see the printer port, your router is probably correctly configured and the problem lies with the Windows XP machine not being able to correctly connect to the router’s printer port. Presumably you can connect to the Internet using the router and you can ping the router. This tells us the connectivity between the computer and router is active and therefore the problem is probably configuration related. If you cannot connect or ping the router at all, the problem is something to do with the connection between the two devices. Please contact me again if this is the case.

Windows 98/Me does not have native support for TCP/IP ports. So, you need to use third-party software to allow the creation of the printer port. Reading a manual for a D-Link router, it seems that they include software called PRTMate which you install before setting-up the printer and allows you to create a TCP/IP printer port. However, Windows XP does support the creation of TCP/IP ports. When you said that you have created a TCP/IP printer port, I am unsure whether you are using the D-Link software, on Windows XP inbuilt TCP/IP port emulator. I strongly recommend that we start afresh, because it is likely that something has become corrupted or misconfigured in the upgrade from Windows 98 to Windows XP. Delete your printer driver and follow the instructions for installing the print server in the D-Link manual and then reinstall your printer. Make extra sure you type the correct IP address when configuring the printer port.

As I don’t know the exact model of your router, it’s difficult to know the exact procedure you need to follow to install the print server, as I don’t know whether you are using the Windows Standard TCP/IP port, or a specialised D-Link port driver. Should problems persist, if you are using the D-Link software, try using the Windows XP inbuilt emulator. On the other hand, if you are using the Windows XP emulator, try using the D-Link software. You can change/create/delete ports by opening the properties for your printer, then click the ‘Ports’ tab. Click the ‘Add Port’ button and then select the type of port (e.g. Standard TCP/IP Port, or PRTMate) then click ‘New Port’ and specify the IP address for the port.