Wireless printing - A&G

[dedee]

Could anyone offer and advice and guidance on wireless printing? Is is hassle free and easy to setup and use? Will it work room to room in an average house? What are the likely distance limits?

I am about to purchase an Apple Imac and as it comes complete with all the wireless stuff installed I thought I had better investigate wireless printing. HP do a wireless deskjet 6840 at what seems a reasonable £130 (Misco).

I've worked for 23 years in an IT company and have made do with asset write offs and consequently never had to buy a PC etc for home use - talk about choice being the enemy of decision :shock:

Andy

 

[Chris Knight]

Andy,
I have a wireless printer but unfortunately have never managed to get it working on my home network - despite calling in professional help. I can use but only by going via my wife's computer (wirelessly) which is linked by USB cable to the machine. FWW the guy that helped me really is very good on past experience but he says he hates wireless printers and that they are frequently a source of problems.

 

[Anonymous]

I, too, have never managed to get a wireless printer to work successfully. Instead we use wired printers on a desktop system that is accessible over our wireless LAN - one on the parallel port (colour inkjet) and one on a USB interface (laser).

One other point to consider, though, is that the claims of coverage can be greatly exaggerated. When I first set up our wireless LAN the supplier (BT) stated in it's literature that coverage indoors could be up to 50 feet, and 100 feet outdoors. Don't believe it - your experience may vary, as they say. The coverage depends entirely on the location of your equipment, the construction of your house, location of electrical wiring, metal pipes etc. even your furniture. We have a brick-built house and we can just get a signal through one wall over a distance of about 15 feet. Any further, or through two walls, forget it. There is no chance of a signal reaching as far as the living room from the office (28 feet and three walls). Of course, there's no signal outside, either, even at the window of the room where the router is located. That's because it's then behind a cavity wall, being two walls of brick and thus impenetrable. At least it's a security feature!

 

[wizer]

never tried a wireless printer. i use the same method as waterhead37 and whw

 

[MattMoore]

lately after setting up a wireless network in my house (4 computers)
i decided that my printer (epson rx6200 me thinks?) should also be on the network... after proffesional help i eventually got it t work off of 3 computers, but the 4th just wont work!!! which is very very frustrating as the one which wont work is my main computer, ahh well

 

[LeeElms]

On the subject of wireless range, I guess we are lucky ... in a brick built house (modern cavity walls), we get a just adequate signal from an upstairs room at the corner of the house to the brick built garage, located 5m away from the opposite corner of the house !! In the room adjacent to the wireless router, the signal is excellent; similarly in the room below.

 

[mr]

after proffesional help i eventually got it t work off of 3 computers, but the 4th just wont work!!! which is very very frustrating as the one which wont work is my main computer, ahh well

If you have the printer working off three machines you should be able to set up printer sharing and then, provided the 4th machine can see the others you should then be able to print ot a shared printer.

 

[Freetochat]

I use a printer off a wireless system without problems, but the printer is connected to the wireless router/hub via an ethernet connection. So the printer is hard wired and the computers wifi.

 

[Mcluma]

I had wireless in the house, but upgraded to wired. with a printer (HP with a network card) since i upgraded to wired i never had a problem

It is a bit more work, but the spead and reliability is so much better. ( I an really recommand to buy and ADSL Router (this has the router and ADSL modem in one) so you can access the internet from all computers, without having to have the main machine on (that is the BT setup- one computer connects to the internet and all other computers are ging through the main computer) the newer modems have a build in firewall which is automatically updated

McLuma

 

[dedee]

Thanks for comments.

It seems that from the experience here and elsewhere that wireless printing could be more hassle that it's worth expecially as I will only have one computer, for next few years at least.

Andy

 

[Jake]

My wireless router has a wired printer connection, which is ideal as long as you are happy having the printer in the same room as the router.

 

[MilkyBarKid]

I've been using wireless printing for ages - It took a little while to set up, but since then no problems. Ive got a Linksys wireless G printerver which feeds two printers an epson photostylus something or other, and an absolutely superb Canon Pixma ip5000 - highly recommended.

I've not moved it very far - it's in the same room as the wireless router - but I'm not fond of cables dangling all over the place. The canon printer turns itself off when it's not needed and turns itself on automatically, and prints very quickly when warmed up. The setup has survied about 10 short powercuts - always comes up no problems. The linksys needs to be connected with network cable for the initial setup and then it will work .

I bought the linksys on e-bay - can't remember how much but it wasn't expensive - it would be worth a punt - could always sell it on if you don't like it.

MBK

 

[Anonymous]

the BT setup- one computer connects to the internet and all other computers are ging through the main computer)

That's only true if you use the standard/default BT set-up options. My BT set-up is computer-independent -- if the router is switched on any of my computers can connect to the Internet independently. My only restirction is on printing - the desktop has the printers connected. I am using US Robotics and Linksys wifi cards as well as BT, so you don't have to use everything from one supplier either.