Printing direct from laptop to wireless enabled printer WITHOUT using a router

singingsister

Hi guys,

Hubby and I have a Kodak Wireless enabled printer and want to be able to print without having to keep taking the laptop to the printer and plugging the USB connection in.

We don't use a router - we have a 3 mobile broadband dongle (big mistake we know but we're stuck!) and wonder if there's a way of connecting the laptop straight to the printer.

Any suggestions?

Also does anyone happen to know if there is a way we could "share" the internet connection we have between more than one laptop? So hubby and I could both be on our laptops on the net at the same time. Is this possible?

Thanks.
Sarah

gaming_guy

singingsister wrote: »

Also does anyone happen to know if there is a way we could "share" the internet connection we have between more than one laptop? So hubby and I could both be on our laptops on the net at the same time. Is this possible?

Thanks.
Sarah

yes, via ICS (Vista/Win7).

however, this method requires that the machine with the dongle plugged in is switched on every time that you want to use the other laptop to browse the web.

singingsister

Do I presume it won't work if the host machine is Vista and the other one XP?

kev_min

3 will sell you a router that works with their dongle things, should solve the wireless printer problem as well

http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Choose_a_product

singingsister

kev_min wrote: »

3 will sell you a router that works with their dongle things, should solve the wireless printer problem as well

http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Choose_a_product

Excellent. For some reason the link you put took me to the OZ 3 website but I managed to find it on the UK website.

"Share your Mobile Broadband connection at home. Just plug in our router, then plug your dongle into it (only compatible with an Huawei dongle). Up to four computers can share the broadband connection and you only need one dongle. Available in our 3Stores only"

Shame it won't show me the price - kinda wanted to know if it's worth it!

patman99

To print to a wireless printer without using a router, you need to do the following -

On the Printer -

Navigate to the network setup section, then (if available), select 'Wireless'. From this, you should be able to configure the printer with the following information

DHCP - if option is available, set to 'Static' or 'Manual', you should then be able to enter 3 sets of numbers. The first set will be the printers' IP adress, and should be in the form of 4 groups of 3 numbers seperated by a '.' ie. 200.034.065.101, just make sure the first octet falls between 192 & 224

The second set of numbers you will be asked for will be the 'Subnet mask' , this should always be '255.255.255.0'

Lastly, you may be asked for a 'default gateway', this may prove to be a potential stumbling block, but try '0.0.0.0' (or check your printers manual)

On your Laptop -
Each laptop will need to be set-up with a static IP adress & set to connect to 'Ad-Hoc networks'. The only info that needs to be differant to that of the printer is the final group of numbers for the IP adress, so if the printer was set up with '200.034.065.101', then each laptop would be '200.034.065.xxx' where 'xxx' is any number between '1' &' 254', but not one already assigned to another device.

It is worth noting that it really is much harder to do this without a router, as networks by design, need a 'fence and gate' to keep them seperate from other networks and provide a single point of exit/entry for data.

gaming_guy

singingsister wrote: »

Do I presume it won't work if the host machine is Vista and the other one XP?

it should work fine.

ICS just uses the host machine (the vista laptop) as a router and any computer (regardless of what OS (Vista, XP, Ubuntu etc) it runs) should be able to access the net

kev_min

singingsister wrote: »

Excellent. For some reason the link you put took me to the OZ 3 website but I managed to find it on the UK website.

"Share your Mobile Broadband connection at home. Just plug in our router, then plug your dongle into it (only compatible with an Huawei dongle). Up to four computers can share the broadband connection and you only need one dongle. Available in our 3Stores only"

Shame it won't show me the price - kinda wanted to know if it's worth it!

when I got one, a few months ago they were I think about £80,and from the shops only.
Only you will be able to say if its worth it, BUT you can place the thing where you get the best 3 signal and leave it there while you surf anywhere, plus there is no nasty lump sticking out of a USB port, just asking to get knocked off......
I didnt regret getting one,

singingsister

patman99 wrote: »

To print to a wireless printer without using a router, you need to do the following -

On the Printer -

Navigate to the network setup section, then (if available), select 'Wireless'. From this, you should be able to configure the printer with the following information

DHCP - if option is available, set to 'Static' or 'Manual', you should then be able to enter 3 sets of numbers. The first set will be the printers' IP adress, and should be in the form of 4 groups of 3 numbers seperated by a '.' ie. 200.034.065.101, just make sure the first octet falls between 192 & 224

The second set of numbers you will be asked for will be the 'Subnet mask' , this should always be '255.255.255.0'

Lastly, you may be asked for a 'default gateway', this may prove to be a potential stumbling block, but try '0.0.0.0' (or check your printers manual)

On your Laptop -
Each laptop will need to be set-up with a static IP adress & set to connect to 'Ad-Hoc networks'. The only info that needs to be differant to that of the printer is the final group of numbers for the IP adress, so if the printer was set up with '200.034.065.101', then each laptop would be '200.034.065.xxx' where 'xxx' is any number between '1' &' 254', but not one already assigned to another device.

It is worth noting that it really is much harder to do this without a router, as networks by design, need a 'fence and gate' to keep them seperate from other networks and provide a single point of exit/entry for data.

Hi,
That's great. Managed to sort the settings on the printer no worries but not sure exactly what to do/where to go on the laptop. Are you able to give me bit more detailed instructions?

singingsister

kev_min wrote: »

when I got one, a few months ago they were I think about £80,and from the shops only.
Only you will be able to say if its worth it, BUT you can place the thing where you get the best 3 signal and leave it there while you surf anywhere, plus there is no nasty lump sticking out of a USB port, just asking to get knocked off......
I didnt regret getting one,

Thanks! Might take a gander on E-Bay. £80 seems quite a lot (but might be worth it!).

patman99

Singingsister, what operating system are you using?.