Make a Wired Network Printer Wireless

ktz84

ktz84

ktz84

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I have a dell 1700n network printer (it has an ethernet port on the back). I haven't used the wired function basically because I only had one pc so I just connected it usb however now there are couple of using laptops it would be handy to print from laptops.

Firstly I would need to make the printer wireless as I can't cable it as the location of the router and the printer are too far away and it would become unsightly to route the cable round the house and

Secondly I then need to be able to print from the laptops without connecting physcially to the printer.

Can I use any ethernet based wireless bridge/adapter/games adapter or are there certain things I need to look out for.

Any recommendations though I realise that will not be possible if they are not sold on overclockers who I'm happy to use if they sell what I'm looking for.

Thanks
 
Ideally the best way to do it would be to plug the printer into your router via network cable. Then printing from either PC / Laptops will be a doddle.. If not you can still share the printer if it is connected to your PC via network or USB.

I dont have a network printer just paralell.. I share the printer out and laptops are set up to print to it. The only downfall of sharing the printer when its connected to ur PC is that you must have your PC on to be able to print from the Laptops.


Rob :D
 
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If I understood your requirement correctly, you need a wireless print server or wireless printer adapter.

For the wireless print server there is an Edimax one listed on this site and Netgear do one which isn't listed here. The Edimax one looks like it means you'll be plugging the printer in via its USB connection; with the Netgear one you can do the same, but I think you should also be able to use a network cable to connect it.

A wireless printer adapter is slightly cheaper, and there appear to be options for both network- and Bluetooth-based wireless connection.

The silly thing is that in either case you're not really using the printer's network capabilities at all as the print server or adapter provides that. Not only that but for not much more than the price of the wireless print server you could get a whole new printer with wireless networking built in!
 
CBJ said:
If I understood your requirement correctly, you need a wireless print server or wireless printer adapter.

For the wireless print server there is an Edimax one listed on this site and Netgear do one which isn't listed here. The Edimax one looks like it means you'll be plugging the printer in via its USB connection; with the Netgear one you can do the same, but I think you should also be able to use a network cable to connect it.

A wireless printer adapter is slightly cheaper, and there appear to be options for both network- and Bluetooth-based wireless connection.

The silly thing is that in either case you're not really using the printer's network capabilities at all as the print server or adapter provides that. Not only that but for not much more than the price of the wireless print server you could get a whole new printer with wireless networking built in!
Click to expand...

Just share the printer on your PC using Windows File and Printer Sharing?
 
The two downsides to that are that the printer has to be physically located near the main PC and that you can only print from a laptop when the main PC is switched on. If neither of those are an issue then yes, which I assumed they were from the OP's description, that would obviously be a much cheaper and simpler option.
 
Should have clarified a bit more. The main pc is getting booted out and we are just going to use our laptops that's why I'm looking for this wireless setup so connecting via the main pc will not be an option and neither will be sharing the conenction from any of the laptops as we want the freedom that a laptop brings and not be stuck to a particular desk or go running every time we wan to print something.

So looks like I need a ethernet connected print server then?
 
If your printer already has a network port then surely you can pick up a cheap wireless bridge or something like a WRT54G and set it to bridge the wireless to the wired? That way the printer would act as if it was connected directly to the router?
 
Even Cheaper... A Reeeeealy long Ethernet cable :D

Sorry.. I'd got the WRT54G route as you'd certainly keep all the functionality of your printer (it just replaces the wire with a radio signal)..
 
If the printer has ethernet then all you need is a wireless bridge, then it's just the simple case of setting it up as a normal network printer. Only slight problem i've had is that i had to preconfigure the wireless bridge on a pc/laptop before it could be used on the printer.
 
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