Dell Inspiron 8600 can't print reliably to LaserJet 5 over..

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My new Inspirion 8600 with XP Professional cannot print reliably to a
LaserJet 5 via a home network. The 8600 can print reliably connected
directly to the LaserJet 5, but printing via a Win 98 box connected to the
LaserJet doesn't work reliably. Transferring files from the 8600 to the PC
hosting the printer works fine, just printing does not.

Printing a single test page often takes 5 or 10 minutes or more, if it
prints at all. Other PCs on the same network (including a Dell Inspirion
7500 with XP and a wireless connection) have no problem and all can print
quickly and reliably. ONLY the Dell Inspirion 8600 has this problem -- with
either a wired or wireless network connection.

Dell had me update the BIOS. No change. Dell replaced the motherboard (they
wouldn't listen that this is a driver/network issue). The problem remains.

I have blown away all printer drivers on both the Inspirion 8600 and the Win
98 box hosting the LaserJet 5. I've re-installed the drivers perhaps half a
dozen times. Could there be a bug in the HP LaserJet 5 driver?

Dell blames Linksys. Linksys blames Microsoft. Over three hours of talking
to Microsoft technical support has revealed no problem. I have connected the
8600 directly to the Linksys router instead of using the wireless
connection. The problem still remains. Why do vendors just point the finger
at each other and make the customer suffer?

Does anyone have a clue what else to check? I don't understand why I can
transfer files over the network, but cannot print. So I often transfer the
files over the network and then print them from the other machine -- this is
a pain.