ebelen1

To all the techie types out there, I've finally joined the 21st century and have set up my new Dell laptop wirelessly. I've had the same desktop since '00 so all this wireless stuff is new to me.

After a little frustration and upgrading the software for my linksys router, I've been wireless for a few weeks now. After seeing how cool it is to be wireless, I've started researching wireless printing. Here's where I need your help.

I found the Dell 966 printer that has a built-in wireless adapter. If I configure this through my USB port on my laptop to link w/ my wireless router, can I just place this printer anywhere in the house w/o being hard-wired to my router. Second question if yes to the first is, then I can print wirelessly to this printer from my laptop anywhere in the house? Remember, this is all assuming that whereever I am in the house, I can link up wirelessly.

My goal is to have a printer downstairs even though my desktop and wireless router is upstairs. I do a lot of wireless internet from downstairs and would love to have a printer downstairs. The other reason I picked this printer is I didn't need a printer that can print pictures but one that could print, scan and copy documents. Quality of print is low on my priority, just that I can print in the house w/ little issue wirelessly for a cheap price. TIA.

ldivinag

just like any network printer.

you print to an IP address. no biggie. just no wires.

some software sets up everything.

some you do manually. it kinda simple actually. once youve setup tons of them... lol...

edit: here's how my WIRED printer/scanner/fax is connected to my home network:

[img=http://img22.imagevenue.com/loc360/th_12341_iprint_122_360lo.JPG]

linky to setup network printing from scratch:
http://www.wellesley.edu/Computing/WinXP/printing.html

the trick is to setup your printer via the USB port to see your wireless network. now once the printer sees the network and is assigned an IP address, then the rest is easy.

the HARD part is hard coding the IP. you can do this by going into your wireless AP admin/setup and assign the IP to that printer.

because if like the power goes out, or you unplug and plug in various devices, it reassigns the IP address.

and if the IP addy is lost by the printer, you have to setup the port one more time (and each time...)