Wireless or Blue tooth printing and fax

Happychappy

Hi, I need to set up a computer, fax, printer for work.

I have a desktop Pc and have had Orange broadband installed where they have sent me a livebox. I could go wireless, but as the computer sits next to the livebox I intend to connect by cable?

The problem I have is I need to have a printer come fax scanner copier next to the desktop PC. I also need a laser printer in the workshop, 30' feet away, this is to print out the faxes that every each day. stay with me it gets better.

A lot of my work is received by fax, possibly 20/30 fax per day, I have two telephone lines, one I have broadband on, the other is just a phone line, I thought of putting the All in one fax copier, scanner and inkjet printer on this line purely to scan and send faxes on.

I then want somehow to have the fax come in onto the other phone line which has Broadband and is linked to my computer by I think it is called an ethernet cable?, I then want the computer to pick up the fax calls and automatically print out the fax onto the printer in the adjoining room without human intervention. I will have difficulty doing this by USB cable as it would need to be around thirty feet long?

The question(s) I have is,

1. What FAX software is best to run with Windows XP home or media edition.

2. How should I connect the computer to the livebox, should I go by the wireless card in the computer or by cable

3. How can I connect the computer to the laser printer in the workshop so that I can guarantee it will receive and automatically print out the fax? Should or can I use the Livebox ? what extra if any card do I need for the desktop, I have a wireless card fitted.

4. Is there some form of bell I can fit to warn me in the workshop that a fax has arrived without constantly having to watch the fax machine or keep going back into the office

The Samsung ML1610 printer is a USB2 printer? how do I get this to talk to the desktop, do I fit some form of dongle for bluetooth or can this be achieved wirelessly?

Any help spelt out really simply and slowly would be gratefully received, I eed to accomplish this by the weekend, I have the computer, and 2 x Samsung fax machines, a Lexmark all in one, Orange broadband and livebox

Thanks for any help

yellowlawn

The question(s) I have is,

1. What FAX software is best to run with Windows XP home or media edition.

- Well that depends on budget but a lot of people use Winfax Pro from Symantec. You could also look at http://www.efax.co.uk. As for Home or Media edition it's irrelevant. BUt if you are setting up any form of network Home edition does not support networking. You need Pro.

2. How should I connect the computer to the livebox, should I go by the wireless card in the computer or by cable.

- Go for the wireless that's what it's there for.

3. How can I connect the computer to the laser printer in the workshop so that I can guarantee it will receive and automatically print out the fax? Should or can I use the Livebox ? what extra if any card do I need for the desktop, I have a wireless card fitted.

- Plug your printer into the Livebox and you can send documents to print from wherever you are. You only need the current wireless card fitted.

4. Is there some form of bell I can fit to warn me in the workshop that a fax has arrived without constantly having to watch the fax machine or keep going back into the office

- If you have speakers on your PC and you use something like Winfax it has Notification and paging. This features allows you to find out about messages as soon as they arrive.

The Samsung ML1610 printer is a USB2 printer? how do I get this to talk to the desktop, do I fit some form of dongle for bluetooth or can this be achieved wirelessly?

- Just plug the printer into your PC's USB port, most modern computers with XP on support USB2 protocol.

Hope that helps!

Happychappy

Hi yellowlawn

Thanks for your prompt reply. The problem I have is it is going to be difficult to wire up the printer in the workshop to get it into the office, the office isnew and fully fitted that I couldnt really drill holes again to get cables around the place. The desktop, Livebox and all in one printer scanner are in one room and the stand alone printer which will print the faxes onto is in another and is soundproofed so wouldnt hear the office and vice versa the noise from the workshop is drowned out.

Thats why I didnt know if there was a realiable wi fi or bluetooth connection I could get to work the priner, I will look at Winfax, is it easy to use do you know?

Thanks

yellowlawn

Happychappy,

First off your printer the Samsung ML1610 you can buy a USB wireless network card off Amazon (search on USB Wireless Network Card). They are about £20

Forget Bluetooth it's a shortwave radio frequency and it's range is limited.

As for Winfax it's easy to use but can get quite technical, it's also fairly expensive. Another product that I haven't used but is much cheaper and looks easy to use is called Mightyfax - http://www.rkssoftware.com/index.html