home and office computers in home network

Hi all,

I'm hoping for some sage advice on how to set up a home network. I have cable internet at home with a wireless router and a mix of wired/wireless computers and a mix of home/office computers. The office laptops appear to have no domain - only showing "workgroup" under domain. I know we don't have active directory.

Included are:
- wired home desktop (no peripherals)
- wireless home desktop (one older colour printer)
- wireless work laptop (with home port connected to colour & mulitpurpose printers)
- wireless work laptop (connected to nothing)

So, I've connected my two desktops together with a different workgroup name than the "workgroup" that shows up on my work laptop's workgroup name. They're connecting fine. The only thing that seems weird to me is that all the lit I've found online refers to how to get a work laptop *on a domain* (which mine is not - it's just a workgroup) to access peripherals on a *home* computer (whereas I want my home desktops to be able to access my laptop port peripherals). I know, it's a weird set-up, but one desktop is in the kids area on the main floor and the other is my husband's gaming computer. My home office is my mecca spot and therefore my peripherals are there. I'd like to give the kids and my husband ability to print to my work peripherals that I have at home. Obviously, it will only work when my laptop is planted there (the printers are not network devices in and of themselves and I don't have a print server... or maybe I should get one...).

So, *can* I have my work laptop share it's home-based peripherals? should I change my home workgroup name to match the work workgroup name and would it be that simple? I just don't want to mess with it unless I know. Would giving it the same workgroup name screw it up somehow? or just allow it to work seamlessly? Or is it too insecure to have my work computer set up to share the perhipherals/files at home and then return to campus to work? Is there any ability to set up profiles? switch it from one setting when at home and then another when at work??

If it's just easier to look into getting a print server for the two printers at my home desk, then let me know - I could do that. Then I just have to set up my work laptop to access it and not bother sharing its resources.

Thanks for the ear.

V

swirvine