Wireless adsl router - how to print?

I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access broadband on a
desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand basically what kit I need to
buy - but I'm still a bit confused over how to print?

Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a USB
port on the router, and then print wirelessly from my laptop - without the
need to power up my desktop pc? And if this is the case, do all ADSL
wireless routers offer this capability?

Or do I need to find a specific one - how is this capability described - is
it then a print server?

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:13:21 -0000, "Gbrunsdon"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a USB
>port on the router

Only if you get a router with a printserver built-in, AND if your
printer is ok with printing over a printserver. Not all are - see
below.

>do all ADSL wireless routers offer this capability?

certainly not - expect to pay a small premium.

>Or do I need to find a specific one - how is this capability described - is
>it then a print server?

Its a USB printserver.

Note that not all printers, especially multifunction devices and
printers that have complicated management software, don't work with
printservers. You might expect the printing part of an MFD to work but
you'd be wrong - my lexmark x5150 doesn't work with an SMC
router/printserver/wireless. By management software I mean something
that requires bidirectional communication with the printer eg head
cleaning, ink level monitoring etc. Often you can't disable the mgmt
s/w without removing the printer driver so....

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Gbrunsdon
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access broadband on a
>desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand basically what kit I need to
>buy - but I'm still a bit confused over how to print?
>
>Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a USB
>port on the router, and then print wirelessly from my laptop - without the
>need to power up my desktop pc? And if this is the case, do all ADSL
>wireless routers offer this capability?
>
>Or do I need to find a specific one -
>
No need for this. Just re-install the printer on your desktop as a
network printer.

--
Thoss

Gbrunsdon wrote:

> I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access
> broadband on a desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand
> basically what kit I need to buy - but I'm still a bit confused
> over how to print?
>
> Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer
> into a USB port on the router, and then print wirelessly from
> my laptop - without the need to power up my desktop pc? And if
> this is the case, do all ADSL wireless routers offer this
> capability?
>
> Or do I need to find a specific one - how is this capability
> described - is it then a print server?

I know this is not exactly what you are asking but you will
probably find it simpler and cheaper if you attach the printer
to the desktop PC and share it on the network. That is what we
have at home here. Prints from mandrake linux as well as windows
- no problem.

Yes, you do need to have the PC on but that is not really a big
drawback compared to other possible problems - see other
messages re difficulties monitoring the ink levels etc if it is
not attached to a PC. Swings and roundabouts :-)

HTH
Syd
--
reply via newsgroup. Thanks

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
thoss <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Gbrunsdon
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access broadband on a
>> desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand basically what kit I
>> need to buy - but I'm still a bit confused over how to print?
>>
>> Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a
>> USB port on the router, and then print wirelessly from my laptop -
>> without the need to power up my desktop pc? And if this is the case,
>> do all ADSL wireless routers offer this capability?
>>
>> Or do I need to find a specific one -
>>
> No need for this. Just re-install the printer on your desktop as a
> network printer.


So how does this meet the OP's requirement to be able to print from the
Laptop without the Desktop being powered up?

--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Tiscali Tim
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>thoss <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Gbrunsdon
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>> I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access broadband on a
>>> desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand basically what kit I
>>> need to buy - but I'm still a bit confused over how to print?
>>>
>>> Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a
>>> USB port on the router, and then print wirelessly from my laptop -
>>> without the need to power up my desktop pc? And if this is the case,
>>> do all ADSL wireless routers offer this capability?
>>>
>>> Or do I need to find a specific one -
>>>
>> No need for this. Just re-install the printer on your desktop as a
>> network printer.
>
>
>So how does this meet the OP's requirement to be able to print from the
>Laptop without the Desktop being powered up?
>
Sorry, I misread the OP's message.
--
Thoss

Buy a Wireless adsl modem router, and also buy a wireless USB print server,
you will need a USB printer to plug into print server,
This allows you to have only the router on, and your laptop with internet
access and print.

Regards Bri@n

"thoss" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:XhIFjKA7edqBFw+(E-Mail Removed)...
> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Tiscali Tim
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>>thoss <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Gbrunsdon
>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>>> I wish to buy and use the above to enable me to access broadband on a
>>>> desktop pc and a laptop. I think I understand basically what kit I
>>>> need to buy - but I'm still a bit confused over how to print?
>>>>
>>>> Am I right in thinking that I will be able to plug my printer into a
>>>> USB port on the router, and then print wirelessly from my laptop -
>>>> without the need to power up my desktop pc? And if this is the case,
>>>> do all ADSL wireless routers offer this capability?
>>>>
>>>> Or do I need to find a specific one -
>>>>
>>> No need for this. Just re-install the printer on your desktop as a
>>> network printer.
>>
>>
>>So how does this meet the OP's requirement to be able to print from the
>>Laptop without the Desktop being powered up?
>>
> Sorry, I misread the OP's message.
> --
> Thoss

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 10:44:01 +0000, thoss <(E-Mail Removed)>
strung together this:

>No need for this. Just re-install the printer on your desktop as a
>network printer.

You don't need to do that, just right click the printer and click
sharing.
Obviously this isn't what the OP wanted but...
--

SJW
A.C.S. Ltd
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject

HP make wifi / print server equiped printer(s), and IIRC multifunctional
ones too.
They may be other makes available.
Regards,
Martin

"Martin²" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<41aa8ad3$0$536$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> HP make wifi / print server equiped printer(s), and IIRC multifunctional
> ones too.
> They may be other makes available.
> Regards,
> Martin

I have an HP 2500? series all-in-one colour printer, memory card
reader, scanner and fax. It has built-in wired and WiFi networking and
works a treat. That's the good news.
The bad news is that, as others have mentioned, it requires its own
special software drivers on every machine that wants to print to it.
OK - no problem? Hold on, those drivers take up ALMOST 500 Megs of
disk space on every machine!!
It is possible to remove some of the clutter - if you don't want to be
able to scan prints direct to the Internet for example, but that still
leaves almost 400 Megs of crap on your machine.
I've made endless calls to HP support, pleading for a fix that just
lets me install it as a network printer, but the answer is NO.

On a separate point, you could buy a network print server (wired or
wireless) but be aware that most modern cheap printers will not
operate with it. They all rely heavily on a connected computer to do
all the document formatting - sending it as a graphic to the printer.
Print servers expect to send simple text and formatting as ASCII data
to a real printer - usually a laserjet or similar. Have a look on the
HP site at their JetDirect 300 print server, and then scan the [long]
list of incompatible HP printers..

HTH

-- The PG --