View Full Version : Wireless printing
calee720
Mar 1, 2005, 04:31 PM
I would like to connect my sager 8790 notebook with win xp to my hp 7150
Photosmart printer through my linksys wireless-g 4 port router how do I do this
Thanks lee
ScottGem
Mar 1, 2005, 05:32 PM
There are three ways you can do this.
1) Install the printer to a PC wired to the router. Set its as a shared resource, then add it to your laptop as a network printer.
2) Purchase a wired USB print server and attach it to the printer. Then add it as a network printer on all PCs.
3) Same as 2 only using a wireless USB print server.
My recommendation is either 1 or 2. The only drawback to 1 is that the desktop needs to be on constantly to share the printer. But 1 has the advantage of no cost. Option 2 requires the purchase of a print server, but it's a good option if you don't want have a PC up and running all the time. I would look at Option 3 only if you need to setup the printer far enough from the router that wiring it is impractical.
calee720
Mar 2, 2005, 01:39 PM
Thanks scott I guess I'll be going to best buy for a wireless usb print server
Lee
TechProNow
Mar 19, 2005, 09:15 PM
I have accomplished this without having to buy a print server or any additional hardware.
1 Wireless Router
1 Computer hardwired to the printer
1 wireless computer (or 2-3-4, ect)
Enable File and Printer sharing on the computer with the hardwire connection to the printer.
Share the printer, install any additional drivers (if you have variating OSs), install the printer as a "network printer" on the wireless computer. Your computer will search for "printers on the network" and when you have located the printer on the network, select it, and follow any steps asked for. It is possible that you will need additional printer software or drivers for the wireless computer, but if it is XP, you usually do not.
I've never needed a print server or additional hardware to accomplish this.
ScottGem
Mar 20, 2005, 07:42 AM
I have accomplished this without having to buy a print server or any additional hardware.
1 Wireless Router
1 Computer hardwired to the printer
1 wireless computer (or 2-3-4, ect)
Enable File and Printer sharing on the computer with the hardwire connection to the printer.
Share the printer...
Exactly, That was option #1 listed in my answer. Again, The drawback of this is that the computer the printer is connected to has to be on.
TechProNow
Mar 20, 2005, 10:36 AM
I see that now. That's for the correction. I thought it was instruction step by step at first.
TY!
Yuzaho
Jun 1, 2007, 01:51 PM
So I read these posts and I tried to do the same thing. I added a printer and set is as a shared source. Then with my wireless computer, I tried to add the printer as a network printer but the wireless computer couldn't find the printer. Yes the printer is on, connected to a base pc, and set to share. I really don't know what else to do, i really dont want to buy any hardware...any ideas??
TechProNow
Jun 1, 2007, 02:56 PM
So I read these posts and I tried to do the same thing. I added a printer and set is as a shared source. Then with my wireless computer, I tried to add the printer as a network printer but the wireless computer couldn't find the printer. Yes the printer is on, connected to a base pc, and set to share. I really don't know what else to do, i really dont want to buy any hardware...any ideas??
You must make sure that both computers have the same workgroup.
The default workgroup is MSHOME.
You may want to use the network wizard for setting up a home or small ofice network. It's a windows wizard and it makes this step really easy.
Make sure that you "turn on file and printer sharing" in that wizard.
Then restart both computers.
ScottGem
Jun 2, 2007, 04:02 PM
I've found that when trying to connect a networked printer it works easiest to install the printer as a local printer, but to set the port as a TCP/IP port using the IP address of the PC that the printer is connected to.
TechProNow
Jun 3, 2007, 02:20 AM
True. In XP, if you have a local printer installed (IP addressed or not), if the computers are communicating properly within the same workgroup, all the other PC needs to do is browse for printers, and the local (shared) printer on the first computer should show up instantly.
I typically see that people don't have their local network setup properly.
Once the proper workgroup is assigned, and "File and Printer Sharing" is turned on, finding the printer should be as easy as going to the printers icon in Control Panel.
If the printer doesn't show up still, go through the Add a Printer wizard.
Yuzaho
Jun 3, 2007, 09:14 AM
Yeah i can tell that i haven't set up my network properly. I set up a network using the wizard on my host pc, but i can't seem to pick it up on any of my wireless pc's throughout the house, so i'm guessing that i set up my network wrong...nasty process!
TechProNow
Jun 3, 2007, 10:38 AM
Use the network wizard again, and then if you want to make the process less complicated, use the option to create a floppy disk with the network configuration on it, take that to the other computer and run it.
Or. Just re-run the network wizard on both computers.