Bluetooth printer / scanner possible?

Hi All,

A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
using bluetooth.

I have used bluetooth a bit but am unsure if a b/t usb printer
'converter' wouls truely act like a wireless 'cable' in that you could
use all the functions on the drvice (printing should be easy but what
of scanning)?

WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
for internet access already but I thought that might be less
'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?

Any thoughts please?

All the best ..

T i m

"T i m" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
> scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
> using bluetooth.
>
> I have used bluetooth a bit but am unsure if a b/t usb printer
> 'converter' wouls truely act like a wireless 'cable' in that you could
> use all the functions on the drvice (printing should be easy but what
> of scanning)?

I'm not sure if it would act that way, but supposing it did, even Bluetooth
2.0 at ~1/6 the bitrate of Full Speed USB might be too slow for practical
use.

> WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
> for internet access already but I thought that might be less
> 'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?

AFAIK scanning (at least) would be impossible. (I'm open to correction.)

Alex

On Tue, 8 Nov 2005 12:10:32 -0000, "Alex Fraser" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>"T i m" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
>> scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
>> using bluetooth.
>>
>> I have used bluetooth a bit but am unsure if a b/t usb printer
>> 'converter' wouls truely act like a wireless 'cable' in that you could
>> use all the functions on the drvice (printing should be easy but what
>> of scanning)?
>
>I'm not sure if it would act that way, but supposing it did, even Bluetooth
>2.0 at ~1/6 the bitrate of Full Speed USB might be too slow for practical
>use.
>
>> WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
>> for internet access already but I thought that might be less
>> 'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?
>
>AFAIK scanning (at least) would be impossible. (I'm open to correction.)

Ok Alex .. thanks for that ... sounds reasonable .. ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 18:14:59 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
<(E-Mail Removed)>:

>A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
>scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
>using bluetooth.

>WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
>for internet access already but I thought that might be less
>'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?

The Brother website suggests that the MFC-620CN has a network interface
that allows access to all the functions, and it mentions a WiFi network
print server as an accessory with a hint that it also supports scanning,
but I could not find any details.

You don't generally move that kind of printer around much so if it is in
a suitable position relative to a free network port on a switch/router,
a cable may be all the hardware that is needed.

Brother don't seem to put much information online so it would probably
be best to dig out whatever manuals came with the printer and see what
they say about setting up the printer on a network.

--
Owen Rees
[one of] my preferred email address[es] and more stuff can be
found at <http://www.users.waitrose.com/~owenrees/index.html>

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 09 Nov
2005 23:02:33 +0000, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk Owen Rees <(E-Mail Removed)>
fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>>A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
>>scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
>>using bluetooth.
>
>>WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
>>for internet access already but I thought that might be less
>>'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?
>
>The Brother website suggests that the MFC-620CN has a network interface
>that allows access to all the functions, and it mentions a WiFi network
>print server as an accessory with a hint that it also supports scanning,
>but I could not find any details.

It will scan, print, fax and even act as a card reader across the network. We
bought one last week. Doesn't do bluetooth though.

deKay
--
+ Lofi Gaming: www.lofi-gaming.org.uk [Gamertag: deKay 01]
|- Gaming Diary: www.lofi-gaming.org.uk/diary/
|- My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
|- CSS Crap Games Comp 2005: http://www.lofi-gaming.org.uk/speccy/cgc2005/

On Wed, 09 Nov 2005 23:02:33 +0000, Owen Rees <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 18:14:59 GMT, T i m <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
><(E-Mail Removed)>:
>
>>A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
>>scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
>>using bluetooth.
>
>>WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
>>for internet access already but I thought that might be less
>>'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?
>
>The Brother website suggests that the MFC-620CN has a network interface
>that allows access to all the functions, and it mentions a WiFi network
>print server as an accessory with a hint that it also supports scanning,
>but I could not find any details.

Ok, thanks for looking though .. I did have a nosey on there as well
and was even going to ring them ..
>
>You don't generally move that kind of printer around much so if it is in
>a suitable position relative to a free network port on a switch/router,
>a cable may be all the hardware that is needed.

Well it was near the router .. till he moved the router into the hall
(but it could be moved back .)
>
>Brother don't seem to put much information online so it would probably
>be best to dig out whatever manuals came with the printer and see what
>they say about setting up the printer on a network.

He has the manual but didn't even think to look in there! (doh). I'm
my experience manuals rarely answer any of my questions .. fine if you
want to read 5 pages on 'plugging in your printer' .. ;-(

If he want's to keep the printer away from the router and still go
wireless then a wireless printserver may be the way then (and he can
cover the two printers he has there)?

All the best ..

T i m

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005 17:43:11 +0000, deKay
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 09 Nov
>2005 23:02:33 +0000, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
>uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk Owen Rees <(E-Mail Removed)>
>fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>>A friend has a Brother FAX-2440C / MFC-620CN (all in one printer /
>>>scanner / copier) and want's to be able to connect it to his laptop
>>>using bluetooth.
>>
>>>WiFi may be easier (as in Wireless usb print server) as he has that
>>>for internet access already but I thought that might be less
>>>'integrated' as far as the scanning function goes?
>>
>>The Brother website suggests that the MFC-620CN has a network interface
>>that allows access to all the functions, and it mentions a WiFi network
>>print server as an accessory with a hint that it also supports scanning,
>>but I could not find any details.
>
>It will scan, print, fax and even act as a card reader across the network. We
>bought one last week.

Kewl ;-)

So is it 'network ready' (RJ45) and / or how did you do the networking
bit please?

> Doesn't do bluetooth though.

Ok, that's not a problem as he has the wireless bit already .. so I
wonder if 'any' (within reason) wireless print server will work and
give the remote functions or does it have to be theirs?

Thanks again ..

T i m