Wireless Printing?

nanokitten

I currently run my printer of an old networked desktop on my desk (which also serves as spare drive for backing up documents) but work almost exclusively off my wireless laptop in bed (so it's not convienient to run the printer off my laptop). This means that the old tower is often switched on all day and (I assume) consumes quite alot of power.

I have toyed with the idea of replacing the tower with a wireless print server / external hard drive combo but as this is probably gonna cost best part of £100 it doesn't seem cost effective. Nowerdays wireless printers are much more widely available so I could just wait untill my printer dies (hopefully ot for a long time, my last HP lasted many years and it's quite a good £100 ish one)

Also I no longer have the driver disk for my scanner (artec e+pro) which runs off the desktop) and I think the company went bust.

So my question, what shall I do, wait for my printer to die and buy a wireless on, buy a print server to replace the tower, something else...

Would be greatful for some suggestions

1984ReturnsForReal_2

I would go for wireless.

nanokitten

It's also just occurred to me that with the PC gone, there would be a free ethernet cable which could connect the print server to the router, if that is any use.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HP-Wireless-Printer-Printing-Upgrade-KIT-Q6259-Vista_W0QQitemZ220464375782QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item3354b367e6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14


Any good guys?

familyfitz

I'm about to purchase a new printer and looking at Canon MP610,620 0r 630. The MP 620 has the duplex printing which is very important but doesn't have the wireless facility. At present, like OP I have my printer wired the desktop and operate the printer from my laptop only when the main desktop is on.

Suppose can continue with this with new non-wireless printer but question will be, would I be able to link 2 other laptops into the equation too (likely purchase in next few months)? I know still will have problem of desktop needing to be on but seems wireless printer doesn't offer duplex printint (MP620) and although think both offered on MP630, this doesn't get as good reviews and seems more costly to run than MP610.

tomsutton529

I have just set up a wireless printing solution for a client and got awefull conection to the server over wireless soI ended up plugging the server into the router and having the printer on a wired conection but because the router is a wireless router they still got the wireless printing but with much better speeds.

familyfitz

Thats sounds like what we have just now (have you guessed I'm not technically minded?). So shouldn't be problem just adding couple other laptops into the wireless printing loop via the wireless router?

(sorry to have jumped on similar sounding thread)

tomsutton529

familyfitz wrote: »

Thats sounds like what we have just now (have you guessed I'm not technically minded?). So shouldn't be problem just adding couple other laptops into the wireless printing loop via the wireless router?

(sorry to have jumped on similar sounding thread)

just add the laptops to the router and make sure they are in the same workgroup. you should then be able to run the printer wizard and find the printer. If you cant see the printer then its going to be a problem with the firewall on the laptop trying to conect with.

familyfitz

Cheers. Will go ahead with Canon MP610 that I've found then as feel it gets better reviews than later MP620 & MP 630.

Thanks again

nickcardwell

tomsutton529 wrote: »

just add the laptops to the router and make sure they are in the same workgroup. you should then be able to run the printer wizard and find the printer. If you cant see the printer then its going to be a problem with the firewall on the laptop trying to conect with.

Or get the ip address of the printer (or give it a static ip or worse case give it a ip address in the dhcp range near the top end)

go to add printer.
Select local printer attached to this computer
create a new port (select standard tcp/ip port)
put in ip address
use the drivers
thats it.

nanokitten

Do you mean something like this Tomsutton529? http://www.netgear.co.uk/usb_print_server_ps121.php
I presume I can connect this via ethernet cable to the wireless router so all the laptops can see it?