How to hook up a printer WIRELESS (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

I already have two computers sharing a wired
router with an added wireless router for my
notebook.

How can I take everything (2 computers + notebook)
and have them output to one printer that is hooked
up wireless?

I guess in my stupidity about this I am asking
how to effortlessly create a wireless printer
network in my home.

Don't want to spend a lot if I don't have to,
but I would like to have a wireless unit that
gives me a few hundred feet distance so I can
put the printer in another room.

Please be specific on what to buy and price.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ted Lee]

hey ron -

i can't be very detailed because i've never done it (but have been thinking about it as well), but i know you'll need a wireless print server like this linksys:

http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=37&prid=584

we sell them at best buy for 150 bucks.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....4&type=product

i'm sure someone will chime in with more specific detail.

 

[Diallo B]

well ron,

this is how i have done it.

this works if you have multiple computers. i am assuming that you have more than one computer if you are using a router.

I have 3 desktops and 2 laptops throughout the house that all have different functions. 2 of the desktops are connected to the network on cat 5 cables via a smc router with wireless. The other desktop and the laptops are connected to the network via 802.11b.

one of the desktops is left on all the time and serves as the print server and download station (where all my downloads from the internet take place). this is the only computer that is connected to the printer. using win xp pro i go into the control panel and click onto 'printers and other hardware.' then i go to the connected printer right click it, click sharing, follow the prompts and the printer is set up on the network.

then i go into the control panels on my other computers, click on 'printers and faxes' and tell it to add a printer. then i tell it to find a printer on the network at which point it locates the networked printer. i finish up the wizard and then i have networked printing.

REALLY, really simple and no extra cost if you have a wireless router and multiple computers.

some may consider it a minor inconvenience to have to leave a computer on all of the time. also make sure that the computer being used as the print server has at least 256mb of ram. i have found that the more ram in the system the faster your printing. with at least 256mb it seems like you are printing directly to the printer. anything less and their is lag.

 

[shaniceMW]

i use the wireless d-link print server. works very well. i have one printer that is network ready and other 3 have no network card. i use the print server for those.

 

[Tekara]

a wireless print server is definately the way to go a simple linksys:
http://www.linksys.com/products/grou...rid=33&scid=37

or dlink:
http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=10

is all you need

 

[Vanessa]

Not the cheapest method, but as far as effortless goes, pretty close - use a printer with wireless built in. Like this HP one:

HP Photosmart 2710 All-in-One

I use it, and it works great. The printer is in the closet with the server.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Well, let's try this....

Suppose I buy This Wireless Printer Router

Do I need anything else on the receiving end of
the printer? How does it receive the signal? Do
I need an additional receiver to plug into the
printer USB port?

Thanks all in advance

 

[Ken Chan]

That Linksys WPS11 only has a parallel port for the printer, no USB. It's also 802.11b, not 802.11g, which also means it's slower (not sure you'd notice...) You should get the other suggested Linksys or D-Link. There's also the Apple Airport Express for $129; it also has analog/digital audio out, so if the printer is near the stereo, you can play music too (with iTunes).

Anyway, what would happen is: you plug the printer into the gizmo via USB. Then the gizmo connects wirelessly to your existing wireless router/access point, which will require its own setup. Once that's done, it makes the printer accessible over the network, as if it was hard-wired. Then you use the usual control panels and wizards to connected to a networked printer, which may vary depending on which flavor of Windows (or Mac OS) you're running.

 

[Diallo B]

quick question for the people here with wireless print servers.

is there any advantage to using one of those over the setup that i described that i have above? if so, what are they? should i look to invest in one?

 

[Patrick_S]

The biggest advantage is that you don't have to leave a computer on all the time.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I take it I can use an 802.11g server with an
80211.b router?

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Yup, everything "g" is compatibile with "b" If you upgrade your wireless router in a year or so to G (or whenever, just lets say you do upgrade) then your print server will already be G, and it will still work, only faster!

Mike

 

[Glenn]

Ron,

Check this out. I took it from another forum.

d-link 802.11b Wireless Print Servers – USB or Parallel at Best Buy - online or store (YMMV)

Model: DP-311U
$74.99
$40 rebate
$35.99
Available online and in some stores

Model: DP-311P
$59.99
$40 rebate
$19.99
Shows sold out online but available in some stores

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....4%2Bcat010 28

Glenn

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Glenn,

Thanks for that info. Unfortunately I just
bought this....

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Brows...e=1&Sku=555867

I am going to use it with this printer....

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Brows...e=1&Sku=575027

Note that the printer is Network Ready

QUESTION.....

I understand that the Linksys G Print server sends
a signal to the printer.

How does the printer RECEIVE the signal?

There is no indication of any receiver hooking
into the USB port of the printer to receive the
signal.

Am I missing something?

Thanks for all your help by the way. This has
been a learning process for me.

 

[Kelvin Tucker]

You can plug your printer into the Linksys with an Ethernet cable, and solve all of your problems.

K

 

[darryl b]

this is actually very, very simple. i know because i have this set up in my home. i've undone it and redone it more than a few times.

install the printer via USB on one computer using the software that came with the printer. network all of your computers within one workgroup. it makes no difference whatever if a computer is wired or wireless. on the computer to which the printer is connected by USB go to sharing and share the printer. for the other computers whether they are connected wirelessly or by wire, in most cases, you will then simply be able to install/add the printer even without the software. you do this by going to start menu, printer and faxes, adding a printer.

whola!!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Here's the problem....

I am putting the printer in a separate room.

I am using the Linksys G Print Server to transmit
the printer commands wirelressly to the other room.

That being the case....

I would think the Linksys Print server connects
into the router.

How does the printer receive the signal without
a wired connection? Is there a receiver that plugs
into the printer to receive the commands?

I hope that made things a little clearer.

 

[shaniceMW]

the print server doesnt have to connect to the router. your printer connects to the print server. the print server receives the wireless signal from the wireless router.

my hookup: i have a wireless card in my laptop. my router is wireless. so is my print server. even though my printer is network ready, i connect it to the print server because i do not want to run a cable across the room. but in the comming months, i will have a "printer room" where my wireless print server will be hooked up to my printers. the print server can accept usb or ethernet or both. my computers are connected via ethernet. and any of them can send a print job to the printer. btw i love that printer.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Aah, okay....

The Linksys Print server hooks into the PRINTER
USB input (not the router or computer.

My normal wired/wireless router can send the
printer commands from the computer, to another room
where the printer is hooked to the Linksys Print Server.

Yes?

 

[Kelvin Tucker]

Interesting choice you made, since you have both an intelligent network (ethernet) ready printer and a separate wireless print server.

ASSuming you already have a wireless network router installed, and functioning, then the answer to your question is YES.

Existing router --(wireless)-> NEW LINKSYS--(USB)--> NEW PRINTER

K