merliauds Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 [8-)]Can anyone help? I have a laptop with wireless access to the internet through a Livebox, which is connected to our desktop computer. The printer is connected by usb cable to the desktop. I've been given a wireless router so I can print documents from my laptop without having to plug the printer into it. However, I'm completely flummuxed as to how to go about setting this up. Any ideas would be gratefully received! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Assuming you're running Windows XP (or - GULP- Vista) all you have to do is set the printer (on printer options) as a 'shared' printer on the desktop then the laptop should see it and you can assign it, job done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 "all you have to do is set the printer (on printer options) as a 'shared' printer on the desktop then the laptop should see it and you can assign it"You sure. This is supposed to be wireless. How does the printer receive the data if there is no connection between it and the lap top, surely the printer has to have a connection to the modem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Nope, presuming the laptop is on the same network, and since it's talking to the 'net then it is, the printer is just a shared resource of the desktop, like a drive or scanner or whatever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 It works with 'Gulp Vista' too!!![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Yes, I can confirm it will work - I have a couple of XP machines hard wired to the modem, so they can share any one of three printers connected to them. The Vista laptop has no problem printing to any of these printers providing ( and this may be the crucial bit) the main computer is switched on - i.e. the machine the printer is connected to. Sorry if this was too obvious, but I'm not there looking at the connections.Regards - TimP.S Wireless printing (the name of the thread) can, of course, be done without having to have the main computer on but this requires a piece of kit to make the printer wireless and is a slightly different story - or is it? Perhaps you meant that?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Just a thought but for mine to work I had to install the printer driver ( note: just the driver ) onto my laptop. It then worked perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 [quote user="Timco"] P.S Wireless printing (the name of the thread) can, of course, be done without having to have the main computer on but this requires a piece of kit to make the printer wireless and is a slightly different story - or is it? Perhaps you meant that??[/quote]That is exactly what I meant Tim, I have two PCs both routed to the internet through a Livebox, but the only way to get them to print to the one printer is to take out the cable from one and insert the cable from the other, not a hardship but just inconvenient. I read about setting up a network to do this but that meant sending documents over the internet which did not seem very secure, so there is no network as such. I really cannot se how a printer can be wireless without a connection to a PC , or am I missing something here like the piece of kit for the printer? Any advice welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Are we possibly missing the point here [I]I think the OP is asking how he can use this new wireless router to somehow connect to the printer to enable his laptop to print directly and wirelessly and not via the PC nor his Livebox i.e. effectively turning the printer into a wireless one.This may or may not be possible, but will almost certainly provide hours of fun in the trying [:D]Or have I mis read it [blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I had started a thread to give a link to another forum that is all about Livebox, but it seems to have done a runner somewhere, disapeared!!!!!If anyone would like that link then please PM me and I will let you have it.It would seem as if the 'milk monitors' have removed it, because it refered to another forum peut etra?? If not then I appologise, but it seems strange that it has gone???Oh stick it, it's http://livebox.tomhallam.co.uk/forum/index.php . If it vanishes again I at least expect a reason! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Sorry but I should have mentioned in my last post that the link given gives details of how to put your printer, via a USB cable, directly onto your livebox so that you can print from any printer connected to it. This way you only need your Livebox and the PC your using to print... Oh and the printer too [:$]!!The PCs all see the printer as a local not a shared printer it would appear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boiling a frog Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I have the same set upMain computer with printer attached via USB cable,Livebox with dongle for wireless connection to internetLap top with wireless connection to internet.Just enable sharing printer with laptop and you can print from the lap top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 [quote user="Jonzjob"]I had started a thread to give a link to another forum that is all about Livebox, but it seems to have done a runner somewhere, disapeared!!!!!If anyone would like that link then please PM me and I will let you have it.It would seem as if the 'milk monitors' have removed it, because it refered to another forum peut etra?? If not then I appologise, but it seems strange that it has gone???Oh stick it, it's http://livebox.tomhallam.co.uk/forum/index.php . If it vanishes again I at least expect a reason![/quote]Did you actually post this in this forum? I have searched through all your posts for this link on the "TV Satellite..." section and cannot find it.Apology accepted [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I know that I'm getting a load of senior moments Clair, but I don't think this was one of them, so I guess that it's down to good old PCs again???Thank you for the acceptance[;-)][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikew Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Buy a wireless print server (little box with a wi-fi aerial on it and connected to printer), this will enable you to print straight to the printer without the main computer being on. I use a Canon printer with built in wireless - straight from my laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 [quote user="Boiling a frog"]I have the same set upMain computer with printer attached via USB cable,Livebox with dongle for wireless connection to internetLap top with wireless connection to internet.Just enable sharing printer with laptop and you can print from the lap top. [/quote]It's what we have too. The main pc (with the printer connected to it) is permenently on anyway, so we can print whenever we like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merliauds Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 "I think the OP is asking how he can use this new wireless router to somehow connect to the printer to enable his laptop to print directly and wirelessly and not via the PC nor his Livebox i.e. effectively turning the printer into a wireless one." Hi ErnieYYes, that's what I was hoping to do.Following the advice from other posters: I've set the share printer option - no joy; I've installed the printer driver on my laptop - no joy; I've found the usb port on the livebox - looks promising, but I don't have the correct usb cable to connect the printer, yet; I do transfer the printer usb cable from the desktop to the laptop to print at the moment - this works, but I'd really like to be able to print without having to physically attach the laptop - perhaps it's a girly thing!Thanks everyone for all your useful suggestions to date. I'll get a usb cable today but...........Any ideas regarding the original question? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 As I said earlier:"This may or may not be possible, but will almost certainly provide hours of fun in the trying"It all depends on if you can get the Livebox and the new router to "talk" to each other. In my admittedly limited experiece of Liveboxes I have not found them to be very user friendly. Also you will neccessarily have the 2 devices working on the same radio frequency as your laptop, itself a very serious impediment to the viability and success of the idea.Wireless enabled printers are relatively new on the market and would solve your problem at a stroke but of course, only if you want/need to buy a new printer.Apologies for assuming you were a he BTW [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merliauds Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks for your reply ErnieY. Apologies accepted - I always assume that posters on the animal rescue forums are inevitably female! I'll keep trying with the options that have been suggested here. Couldn't get a usb cable today as the only computer shop is closed for building works. C'est la vie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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