Wireless Printer Questions

[cdaniels]

I just bought a new lap top which has the wireless WIFI card. I bought a new wireless printer. I have verizon aircard for internet. What do I need to buy to utilize wireless printing from the computer to the printer. I am thinking a router is necessary. Am I going the right route? If a router is necessary any particular information on which type or what to look for is helpful.

[jpbcny]

If you are going to use the aircard for Internet Access, and not your WiFi Connection, you can set up an "Ad-Hoc" connection between your Laptop, and the Wireless Printer, thereby eliminating the need for a router.

JP

[Waynem]

Creating An Ad Hoc Network

Let me know if it works!

[Waynem]

I did it, I did it, I did it. Ad Hoc works, but more importantly my wireless connection to the wireless printer worked.

Now that was after hours, and hours, and hours of frustratingly trying to set it up. Besides the Windows Defender I have Norton Internet Security, and then don't forget Homegroups, and sharing and printer sharing. I have made so many changes to this laptop running Windows 7 today I can't even remember all that I did.

But, my last trial just as I got to this point was to disconnect from the internet completely, and try printing. Wouldn't you know it!!! This nice voice pops up and tells me to "Please add paper to the paper tray." Go figure. But as soon as I did, it printed what I had asked it to do. I did remember to connect to the internet to be able to post this. Darn, I'm getting smarter, and smarter and smarter, and older, and older, and older.

Let's see, what was I doing? Oh! Hit "Submit Reply."

CDaniels, give me a holler.

[mail2us]

This could be a dumb question but here goes:

Do you need internet or wifi or router to have laptop with wifi built in to connect to a wireless printer? Cannot the laptop and wireless printer communicate alone without internet config?

Try: Most of the wireless printers come up with an installation CD (software). You need to turn on the wireless option of the printer, of course your PC or Laptop need to be wireless too. Then insert the Installation CD and run the setup for a Wireless connection. If you dont have the CD you can search the printer's manufacturer website and search for print drivers & software.

Dennis

[Waynem]

Dennis,
I sure wish it had been that easy. But the answer is yes, you can set up a computer to computer WiFi connection using an Ad Hoc Network. Windows 7 had some problems for me. First I went to the MFg web site and downloaded a 97Mb Windows 7 update. It did not seem to want to do anything for me except tell me how to take it out of the box. A more thorough search on the web site came up with a 143Mb update that did work as I had expected it to with the old XP software. That was also one of the problems is updating to this new laptop with Windows 7. Even in comparability mode it did not want to work. Then there is "Microsoft Homegroup." It is needed to share printers (and other items) across the network.

So in theory, it should be easy, but in reality it took me some time. I used to be a computer guru with the old Windows 95 and prior software, but somewhere along the line it all passed me by and I let the youger generation work with it now.