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    Wireless printing? Options?

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by tstone, Aug 26, 2007.

  1. tstone

    tstone Notebook Enthusiast

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    I need a new all-in-one (printer, copy, scan) printer. I want one that won't be connected directly to a computer, but rather directly to the network. My SOHO network will soon have two XP laptops, and one Vista laptop (currently also has an XP desktop, but that is going away). It seems I have two options. My initial thought was that I'd need a "wireless" printer. And this is what I have found:

    Lexmark: (see http://www.cutthecord.com/)
    X4850 $149
    X6570 $149
    x4550 $129 -- only rated "fair" at PCMagÂ… bad text printing, slow

    HP
    ??? for less than $200?

    Brother
    MFC-665CW $179
    MFC-845CW $229

    Kodak
    ??? for less than $200?

    Canon
    ??? for less than $200?

    Any thoughts on these models? I couldn't find any HP, Kodak, Canon ones for less than $200 that had built-in wireless networking.

    BUT... then I wonder if I really need built-in wireless networking. The printer will be within easy ethernet range of my wireless router. So... is it just as easy to connect an ethernet All-in-One printer to my LinkSys wireless router, and thereby get "wireless" printing/scanning via that route? Is that easy to do in both XP and Vista? (I'm assuming the copying function would then be entirely "computer-less" -- one-touch copying just on the printer device). Not requiring built-in wireless, and using ethernet to connect to wireless router to achieve "wireless printing" would broaden my search for under-$200 devices I think.

    advice?
     
    tstone, Aug 26, 2007
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  2. Matt

    Matt Notebook Deity

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    Apparently, IOGEAR's USB Bluetooth dongle will allow you to do this... check it out, it's only $16. By the way, it has a 100' range, hopefully that's enough.

    Matt
     
    Matt, Aug 26, 2007
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  3. tstone

    tstone Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the suggestion, but I should have been more specific. By "Wireless" I mean standard b/g wireless, not bluetooth. My network is setup as a/b/g, so I want to stick with that. My question is just whether I really need b/g wireless built in to the AIO printer I buy, or whether it is just as easy to setup if I run ethernet from the new printer to my LinkSys b/g wireless router, and then have all my laptops access the printer via wireless that way -- through the router, not directly to the printer device.
     
    tstone, Aug 26, 2007
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