Equipping a non-wifi printer with wifi.

Velskoen

Velskoen

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I have a perfectly good non-wifi Samsung B+W laser printer connected to my Mac via a USB cable (the printer has an ethernet port). I am finding myself needing to print from my iPhone or iPad more often these days. Is there a cheap and easy way to add wifi functionality to the printer? My office is too far from my router to make laying an ethernet cable feasible.

  • I've looked for something like this locally but am not knowledgable enough to recognise what I am seeing on Takealot. IOGEAR 1-Port USB 2.0 Print Server
  • Would it work to plug an ethernet cable into the port on the iMac power block and the other end into the printer? Dumb question I know.
  • My iPhone doesn't see the printer under Airprint printers when I try and print through my Mac.
 
Velskoen said:
I have a perfectly good non-wifi Samsung B+W laser printer connected to my Mac via a USB cable (the printer has an ethernet port). I am finding myself needing to print from my iPhone or iPad more often these days. Is there a cheap and easy way to add wifi functionality to the printer? My office is too far from my router to make laying an ethernet cable feasible.

  • I've looked for something like this locally but am not knowledgable enough to recognise what I am seeing on Takealot. IOGEAR 1-Port USB 2.0 Print Server
  • Would it work to plug an ethernet cable into the port on the iMac power block and the other end into the printer? Dumb question I know.
  • My iPhone doesn't see the printer under Airprint printers when I try and print through my Mac.
Click to expand...
A few of the Asus - and i imagine other brand - of Wi-Fi routers support printer sharing via their USB port.
 
Velskoen said:
Is that essentially a plug and play wifi dongle? Do you possibly have a link to that or similar product?
Click to expand...
That won't work, this will:

www.firstshop.co.za

TP-Link TL-WPS510U Print Server Black and White Wireless LAN

TP-Link TL-WPS510U Print Server Black and White Wireless LAN and other TP-Link products available at FirstShop South-Africa. Price, availability and reviews for TP-Link TL-WPS510U
www.firstshop.co.za www.firstshop.co.za

Or any other brand wireless printer server..
 
You can also use a Raspberry Pi to do the same thing. You just need to install the printer drivers and then hook up the printer to the USB port of the Pi, and then setup the Pi as a wifi client to your wifi network, and bam, you've got yourself a wifi print server.
 
You'll need a wireless access point that has a "client mode" so it can connect to the existing WiFi.

Then you just run the Ethernet cable into the printer and connect to its IP address.

Much less painful than a "print server" using the built in stuff as is and no configuration really. If the printer supports AirPrint even better as that will also work and required even less config.
 
Velskoen said:
  • My iPhone doesn't see the printer under Airprint printers when I try and print through my Mac.
Click to expand...
Does the printer support AirPrint? If it does this would only work when it's connected over a network not over USB.
 
Can't you connect the printer to your wifi router via ethernet cable and print over the network?
 
ponder said:
Can't you connect the printer to your wifi router via ethernet cable and print over the network?
Click to expand...
It looks like this is going to be the easiest, cheapest route. I'll need to run the ethernet cable through the roof, probably about 12m - 15m or so.
 
Velskoen said:
It looks like this is going to be the easiest, cheapest route. I'll need to run the ethernet cable through the roof, probably about 12m - 15m or so.
Click to expand...

That would be my preferred choice before messing around with extra devices that could be finicky, I've always gone with ethernet.
 
deweyzeph said:
You can also use a Raspberry Pi to do the same thing. You just need to install the printer drivers and then hook up the printer to the USB port of the Pi, and then setup the Pi as a wifi client to your wifi network, and bam, you've got yourself a wifi print server.
Click to expand...
:p that is waaaaay above my tech grade but thanks for the help. :thumbsup:
 
ponder said:
That would be my preferred choice before messing around with extra devices that could be finicky, I've always gone with ethernet.
Click to expand...
Ja, I think I'll go this route. It's something I could handle without all the tech voodoo involved with the other options as @SauRoNZA says.
 
Velskoen said:
It doesn't but I thought the phone would see it if routed through my Mac?
Click to expand...

Nope. MacOS sharing doesn't magically add Airprint.

It's more of a universal driver layer than simple sharing so the printer needs to speak the language.
 
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