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| Can I make my old USB printer wireless? http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2706 |
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| Author: | phantombudgie [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
I have a trusty 3-year-old Canon iP1600 that works very well and connects to one of our home PCs via a USB cable. Unfortunately we have 4 PCs in various places so printing from a random starting PC can be a hassle. So my ignorant question is: can I attach a USB wireless (or even bluetooth) dongle to the USB port and see it over our wireless network? Or will I have to share the printer from one directly connected PC (which is unlikely to be on all the time)? Should I just live with it and get fit going up and down 2 flights of stairs? |
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| Author: | Linux_User [ Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
You'll be wanting a print server. If you have an existing PC connected to the printer you can probably set that up to act as one (OS permitting). |
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| Author: | big_D [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
As L_U says, you can user another machine as a print server - or buy a dedicated print-server device (a simple box with network or wi-fi port and a USB port). For such an old/small printer, it is probably cheaper to buy a wi-fi enabled one. The problem with a Wi-Fi stick is that you need to load a driver into the printer and need a way to set up the Wi-Fi parameters (passcode, encryption, SSID etc.)... |
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| Author: | veato [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:10 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
Wireless print server are fairly inexpensive. The usual crowd make them (Belkin, HP, etc) e.g. USB/Wireless Print Server |
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| Author: | phantombudgie [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
OK thanks everyone! I think I'll go down the print server route when I get time. |
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| Author: | CrapBag7 [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
I'm on my second HP2102NW print server (got a replacement to see if 1st was faulty), in general it works great but I can only get it too work with wep encryption, anything better than that and its just no go. WPA or WPA2 and it just refuses to work even though its supposed to be compatible. I've have been iun constant contact with HP via telephone and email and still no solution. Other people have had the same problem as well. |
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| Author: | JJW009 [ Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Can I make my old USB printer wireless? |
I used to use a router which had a built in USB print server. Some NAS units also have one, so there may be a more economical solution depending on your needs. I don't use the print server any more, because my new printer is a multifunction device not well supported. |
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