these are the steps as listed on ehow Share Your Printer in Windows Step1 Install the printer. Set up the printer as normal on a machine that is already connected to the wireless network. Connect all necessary cables and install all necessary drivers. Step2 Open the printers and faxes folder. Click "Start," then "Control Panel," then "Printers and Other Hardware" and then "Printers and Faxes." Step3 Share your printer. Find the icon for the printer you just installed. Click the icon once and then select SHARE THIS PRINTER in the tasks pane on the left. Now, right click the icon, select properties and go to the SHARING tab. Click "Share Name," and then click "Okay." Step4 Connect to the printer. On the other computers within the network, open the control panel and click "Printers and Other Hardware." Select "Add a Printer." Step5 Select "Printer Connection." When prompted, select this option instead of the local printer. Find and select the printer you just installed and select it. Step6 Print as normal. Next time you print a page, send it to your networked printer. (you may need to reboot both computers after setup) This is also a good tutorial Beginners Guides: Printer Sharing on a Home Network you should also check to see if you have all the computers set up with the same workgroup name. "Workgroup name: This is the name of your network if you like. By default Windows XP will call your workgroup MSHOME, but you can change this as long as all the PCs on your network have the same workgroup name. (To see the computers in your network, click My Computer and choose Network Places from the bar on the left side. From there click View Workgroup Computers.)" (Control Panel > Performance & Maintenance > See basic information about your computer. From there click on Computer Name. Your workgroup is displayed.)

From the specifications I looked at, the C5180 has an ethernet card, not wireless, so a wireless router could be used. I am assuming that the laptop is wireless ready? To install for this use, you will need to either connect the printer directly to the laptop for the installation, then plug it into the wireless router for it's permanent location or assign the printer an IP address, default gateway and subnet mask and install it as an IP printer. Wireless routers usually have an ethernet port or so to use in addition to the wireless signal. Pam

Thanks for your help, pkponder. I installed the software on my laptop, and everything is up and running. This morning when I turned on my laptop, though, I got a message telling me that Windows Firewall had blocked the printer monitor that I installed. Of course, I read the dire results of allowing an exception... and I'm afraid to allow it, to be honest. I guess I have to, though, in order to use the printer? I used the printer fine (from my laptop) last night, after installing the software, so the Firewall blocking this morning surprised me.

I print from my laptop wirelessly through a desktop. If your desktop doesn't see the printer, chances are neither will the network. But you can try. Is everything networked now for file and print sharing ? Make sure plug and play is enabled on the computers, and maybe also in the router , then Start/Settings/Printers & add a printer to the laptop... it will search and find the printers just as if it were connected directly to the laptop. You may have to install the printer software on the laptop too, but most likely windows has a driver for it already, but will not have any of the gingerbread software.