Connect Printer to Laptop without wires?

Skeeter · 9 Sep 2009 at 23:20

My GF will move into her new Uni house at the end of the month, and its just struck her that due to the layout of her room and desks, her printer will be setup on the side the opposite side of the room to her desk where her laptop will be. What would be the best way to connect the 2 together? The options ive seen so far are:

- A long USB cable... although Im not sure what the maximum length for USB is, and trailing cables accross rooms is always trouble.

- Wireless USB, although this is extremely rare and extremely expensive, so pointless for this excersise.

- A wireless usb print server box. While not massively expensive, they always struck me as a complicated solution, and i think they are manufacturer specific (may be wrong)

Any advice is much apreciated. Cheap and practical is the aim.

Many thanks

Pawnless Endgame · 10 Sep 2009 at 00:17

My set-up is a remote Win 2k box acting as a print and file server. On the originating computer, I type slash-slash followed by the name of the Win 2k box (like \\Win2k) in the run box. You'll see a folder with the printer connected to the 2k machine. Driver install works in a similar way, except that you don't connect the USB cable when it asks you to (skip it instead), then locate the remote printer, right-click and choose "connect" then the driver install is complete.

Hades · 10 Sep 2009 at 00:19

Some printers are wireless. I have one.

Or get a wireless print server.

Or use powerline ethernet (networking through your normal mains plugs).

dustofnations · 10 Sep 2009 at 00:25

You can even get NAS devices like those available from Synology that can print serve (and a million other things additionally). That's what my house-mates and I did, at least.

J.B · 10 Sep 2009 at 11:07

FYI there is no max lengh of usb but the signals have to reach one end to the other in 5ms I think it is.

Is the printer network enabled? If not I'd get a USB print server and connect it to their network that way.

That or as its a laptop she could just get up, walk across the room and plug it in.

dustofnations · 10 Sep 2009 at 11:25

"The maximum length of a standard USB cable (for USB 2.0 or earlier) is 5.0 metres (16.4 ft).".

Incidentally, your statement saying it must have an RTT<=5ms is equivalent to a distance (D=ST)

Lister · 10 Sep 2009 at 11:31

Have a HP wifi Printer/Scanner at home, bought it 6 weeks ago for £50 (new, cant name the place, but its a very big high street store), breeze to set up the wifi, even running Windows 7 (no offical support for drivers).

Skeeter · 10 Sep 2009 at 13:49

Its a USB printer so I cant simply powerline it or network it, and setting up a complete pc just to act as a print server is way over the top.

Yes, she wil likely have to walk accross the room, but I was after a cheap alternative to allow her to keep her laptop setup on her desk, and possibly print wirelessly from around the house. Print server look to be available for around £30 upwards, which isnt to bad, but I dont know how good they are? Are you restricted to specific brands? I assume the print server itself must require some sort of driver for any printer attached to it?

Jason1973 · 10 Sep 2009 at 14:31

Simplest idea, why dont she just take the laptop across to the printer and print?
No long cable, no extra expense just cheap and practical

Skeeter · 10 Sep 2009 at 18:19

Jason1973 said:
Simplest idea, why dont she just take the laptop across to the printer and print?
No long cable, no extra expense just cheap and practical

Free and practical, but an annoyance (she prints shed loads). If there is an inexpensive way to remove the annoyance then im all for it.

dustofnations · 10 Sep 2009 at 18:22

Skeeter said:
Free and practical, but an annoyance (she prints shed loads). If there is an inexpensive way to remove the annoyance then im all for it.

Yeah, print server or NAS with print server are still my suggestions. Simply look at the compatibility list before you buy it, and check whether the printer(s) you are intending to use are compatible.

Richiev4 · 10 Sep 2009 at 18:26

Is there no way to rearrange the room?

Skeeter · 10 Sep 2009 at 20:33

Richiev4 said:
Is there no way to rearrange the room?

Not really. The desk is too small for a laptop and printer to sit on, and theres no real way to get it to the same place. It would be an investment though as I expect we will use it after uni when we move in together because I plan on hiding all stuff like that out of the way in a cupboard or something.

Ill look at some cheap print servers

HangTime · 11 Sep 2009 at 01:12

You can probably get a wireless hub that supports USB printers, for example we have an Orange Livebox which has the printer plugged into it allowing my wife to print from anywhere in the house via wireless on her laptop.

Simplest/cheapest solution if you ask me would simply be to use a long cable and unplug it when not printing. Would make troubleshooting a lot easier too. I have a 20m network cable trailing across the office floor to the router, looks a bit messy but in 9 months it's not bothered me another to tack it away round the sides of the room.

kelvin45 · 11 Sep 2009 at 10:15

you can also get an active USB 2.0 extension cable, I have 2 one on a mono laser and the other on a colour laser. Both mine are Bandridge, and i THINK i got them at PC world or Staples.
there are 2 lengths 2mtr and 4.5 mtr

Kelvin

sara123 · 11 Sep 2009 at 10:39

Thats great we can connect pc with wireless printer. I never heard before like this kind of stuff.

FatalSaviour · 11 Sep 2009 at 17:14

I've got a similar problem with my new uni room....fixed with a Active 5m USB Extension Lead and another 5m cable going from there. Then used phone line tacks to run this over the door frame. Works for the year that I'll be there...

Skeeter · 11 Sep 2009 at 21:57

Hmm, active extension lead may be the way then.