Connecting a printer to a Linksys router with no dedicated server

  • Thread starter Thread starter miamicuse
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M

miamicuse

I have a LinksysBEFW1114 Wireless router. The router is connected to my DSL
modem.

In my household we have three laptops, I have one for work, my wife has one
for work and my son has one for school. We all carry the laptop out during
the day and bring them back during the evenings and weekends. We do not
have a steady desktop anywhere.

I have wired the house to have three lines of CAT5 cable and are all
connected to the router, but they are hardly used since we are so mobile and
often time use the laptop at a different location.

I have two questions.

(1) Our three laptops never communicate. We never had a need to, when we
need to transfer a document or a photo, we typically just email each other.
But I was wondering whether it is possible to have the laptops "see" each
other while being on and connected. Do I need to have a dedicated desktop
set up with a server to do that or is there a way to do this with three
floating laptop and one wired/wireless router?

(2) I have a printer (not wireless capable) HP PSC1610 that I would like to
connect so I can print from any of the connected laptops. This printer has
a USB connection and a CAT5 connection. Is it possible for me to setup the
printer to do this? I guess I will need a print server? Most simple print
servers I see has a CAT5 connection and a USB connection. So my guess is I
will take it near one of the three wired locations, plug the CAT5 cable into
the print server and then connect the print server to the printer's using a
USB cable? Will something like this model work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Linksys-PSUS4-P...4QQihZ013QQcategoryZ64057QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/LINKSYS-PRINT-S...8QQihZ004QQcategoryZ64057QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So the arrangement will be that I have three laptops connected wirelessly to
the router, and the print server connected to one of the wired ports, and
the printer to the print server.

Will then all the laptops be able to see the print server and print to it?

Thanks in advance,

MC
 
miamicuse said:
I have a LinksysBEFW1114 Wireless router. The router is connected to my DSL
modem.

In my household we have three laptops, I have one for work, my wife has one
for work and my son has one for school. We all carry the laptop out during
the day and bring them back during the evenings and weekends. We do not
have a steady desktop anywhere.

I have wired the house to have three lines of CAT5 cable and are all
connected to the router, but they are hardly used since we are so mobile and
often time use the laptop at a different location.

I have two questions.

(1) Our three laptops never communicate. We never had a need to, when we
need to transfer a document or a photo, we typically just email each other.
But I was wondering whether it is possible to have the laptops "see" each
other while being on and connected. Do I need to have a dedicated desktop
set up with a server to do that or is there a way to do this with three
floating laptop and one wired/wireless router?
Click to expand...

All of the laptops (or actually I should say all wireless
clients) can see each other. Hence whatever builtin
internetworking facilities you have will work, and it can work
with a mix of Operating Systems too (e.g., Apple, Linux, or
Windows).

The one problem is that you are almost certainly using
dynamically assigned IP addresses, and hence the address is
different each time you connect. And that probably means the
first one connected on any given day gets the first IP address
available... which might have been used by a different laptop
yesterday.

How you work that out depends on your OS.
(2) I have a printer (not wireless capable) HP PSC1610 that I would like to
connect so I can print from any of the connected laptops. This printer has
a USB connection and a CAT5 connection. Is it possible for me to setup the
printer to do this? I guess I will need a print server? Most simple print
Click to expand...

The spec sheet I found for an HP PSC1610 didn't say anything
about ethernet connectivity, and listed only USB 1.1.
Regardless, even if it does have an ethernet interface, you will
want the facilities of a print spooler. Wireless print servers
are pretty economical, so it would be an easy to add and very
flexible hardware configuration (because you can then put the
printer virtually anywhere).
servers I see has a CAT5 connection and a USB connection. So my guess is I
will take it near one of the three wired locations, plug the CAT5 cable into
the print server and then connect the print server to the printer's using a
USB cable? Will something like this model work?
Click to expand...

That is certainly one way to do it, and I would assume that
virtually any USB/Ethernet server would work just fine. If
it is convenient to locate the printer near one of the existing
wired locations there would be no advantage to using a wireless
print server.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Linksys-PSUS4-P...4QQihZ013QQcategoryZ64057QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/LINKSYS-PRINT-S...8QQihZ004QQcategoryZ64057QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

So the arrangement will be that I have three laptops connected wirelessly to
the router, and the print server connected to one of the wired ports, and
the printer to the print server.

Will then all the laptops be able to see the print server and print to it?
Click to expand...

Yes. The typical way all of these wireless "routers" with 4
ethernet ports and a WLAN port work is that the 4 LAN ports and
the wireless port are actually on an Ethernet switch. That
means there is no routing between them (and hence no firewall),
and they can all see each other. All of the routing (and
firewall ability) is between the WLAN port and all of the
others, which protects your LAN from the Internet.
 
You do not need a server for either situation and the fact they are
wireless vs. wired doesn't make a difference.
Though if wireless make sure you are all connected to your router and not a
neighbors. I setup wireless for a living and I have been at houses where
some of the computers were connected to a different linksys router.
(1) Our three laptops never communicate. We never had a need to, when we
need to transfer a document or a photo, we typically just email each
other.
But I was wondering whether it is possible to have the laptops "see" each
other while being on and connected. Do I need to have a dedicated desktop
set up with a server to do that or is there a way to do this with three
floating laptop and one wired/wireless router?
Click to expand...

By look at, do you mean share files. If they are all XP you "share" the
folder you want other laptops to see and then connect to that folder from
the other laptops. Its easy to do but I don't have time to explain it now.
One tip, make sure all your laptops are in the same workgroup.
(2) I have a printer (not wireless capable) HP PSC1610 that I would like
to
connect so I can print from any of the connected laptops. This printer
has
a USB connection and a CAT5 connection. Is it possible for me to setup
the
printer to do this? I guess I will need a print server? Most simple
print
servers I see has a CAT5 connection and a USB connection. So my guess is
I
will take it near one of the three wired locations, plug the CAT5 cable
into
the print server and then connect the print server to the printer's using
a
USB cable? Will something like this model work?
Click to expand...

If your printer has an Ethernet port it already is a print server.
Generally, you connect the printer to the router, make sure its getting an
IP address and then run the setup software on the laptops. During the
setup, one of the initial screens asks you whether you want a local or
network install. Pick network and it will find the printer on the network
and install the software.


For both questions if you have Norton Internet Security suite or the stand
alone firewall, you need to run the network wizard to allow the other
computers and the printer to see you through your firewall.
 
Cliff said:
You do not need a server for either situation and the fact they are
wireless vs. wired doesn't make a difference.
Though if wireless make sure you are all connected to your router and not a
neighbors. I setup wireless for a living and I have been at houses where
some of the computers were connected to a different linksys router.


By look at, do you mean share files. If they are all XP you "share" the
folder you want other laptops to see and then connect to that folder from
the other laptops. Its easy to do but I don't have time to explain it now.
One tip, make sure all your laptops are in the same workgroup.


If your printer has an Ethernet port it already is a print server.
Generally, you connect the printer to the router, make sure its getting an
IP address and then run the setup software on the laptops. During the
setup, one of the initial screens asks you whether you want a local or
network install. Pick network and it will find the printer on the network
and install the software.
Click to expand...

half right. the printer will not be picked up as a network printer.
through the router you should be able to establish a static IP for the
printer, when adding the printer on your PC, select local printer, then
create a new TCP/IP port (whatever you assigned the printer), then
install the drivers.
 
half right. the printer will not be picked up as a network printer.
through the router you should be able to establish a static IP for the
printer, when adding the printer on your PC, select local printer, then
create a new TCP/IP port (whatever you assigned the printer), then install
the drivers.
Click to expand...

I have installed 6 or 7 HP printers such as these

http://tinyurl.com/nn74m

http://tinyurl.com/ofolr

both wired and wireless.

I never had to assign them a static IP. The printer gets an IP from the
router and the clients communicate to them through their computer (print
server) name. I think HP assigns them a random name if you happen to have
more than one printer on your network. The setup software finds them on the
network like any other computer with a printer to share and creates a port
for it (not an IP port).

It has to be this way because there's no way an average home user is going
to understand IP addressing let alone assigning a static IP out the DHCP
range and HP doesn't want to have to hand your hand to setup the printer.

I have setup a few higher end copiers (not HP, floor standing real copiers
not multi function machines) that required a static IP, but not for the HP's
sited above.
 
Cliff Hartle said:
You do not need a server for either situation and the fact they are
wireless vs. wired doesn't make a difference.
Though if wireless make sure you are all connected to your router and not a
neighbors. I setup wireless for a living and I have been at houses where
some of the computers were connected to a different linksys router.


By look at, do you mean share files. If they are all XP you "share" the
folder you want other laptops to see and then connect to that folder from
the other laptops. Its easy to do but I don't have time to explain it now.
One tip, make sure all your laptops are in the same workgroup.


If your printer has an Ethernet port it already is a print server.
Generally, you connect the printer to the router, make sure its getting an
IP address and then run the setup software on the laptops. During the
setup, one of the initial screens asks you whether you want a local or
network install. Pick network and it will find the printer on the network
and install the software.
Click to expand...

My printer does not have an ethernet port. It has a USB port only.
 
My printer does not have an ethernet port. It has a USB port only.
Click to expand...

I suspect I'm not alone in now being confused. Your O/P stated:
"This printer has a USB connection and a CAT5 connection."

If it isn't for ethernet, can you tell us what the Cat5 port actually is for?
 
budgie said:
I suspect I'm not alone in now being confused. Your O/P stated:
"This printer has a USB connection and a CAT5 connection."

If it isn't for ethernet, can you tell us what the Cat5 port actually is
Click to expand...
for?

I am so sorry for the confusion. My mistake. The printer does not have a
ethernet port. It has a USB port and nothing else. Sorry for the confusion
again I was thinking about the print server when I typed this.

MC
Click to expand...
 
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