Question

Can't figure out how to connect to printer wirelessly

Asked by: bray64

I have an HP Officejet J6450 All-in-one and it has built-in wireless support. My business partner and I would both like to use wireless printing -- at least one of us anyway, since the other one could use the USB connection. We have laptops and may or may not be in the office at the same time. Our computers are not networked.

The documentation for the printer makes it sound like we can create an ad hoc network to connect wirelessly to the printer, however when I try to do this Windows cannot find the printer. When I try to set up set up wireless access through the HP installation program, it's assuming that I have a network already set up and asking for the SSID.

Hardware isn't my thing, but I can usually succeed with good documentation. There just seems to be a mismatch here, or else I'm just missing the mark. So, my questions are:

- Can I set this up without having to have another computer as a print server?
- Do I need to set up a router for this? (I do have one, but it was my understanding that the built-in wireless support negates the need for a router...)
- Do our computers need to be networked? if so, what happens when only one of us is in the office?
- Will this affect our wireless internet connection? We are in an area that does not have high-speed cable or phone access (frightening, I know), so we are each using Verizon aircards for internet access. I think it is possible to share one connection by setting up a network, but I've never tried it and I think it could degrade our access speed. So, I don't really want to do this.

Hopefully this is a fairly easy question for somebody out there. I'm stumped.

Thank you!

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Asked On
2008-08-25 at 15:57:47ID23676898
Tags

HP

,

Officeject All-in-One

,

J6450

,

Wireless ability

,

Wireless Print Servers

Topics

Wireless Networking

,

Wireless Network Cards & Adapters

,

Network Routers

Participating Experts
1
Points
125
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: RartemassPosted on 2008-08-25 at 16:34:58ID: 22310328

You do need something to act as a connection point for the printer (basically a print server).
Some routers have a print server built in. Try one of these:
http://www.myshopping.com.au/PT--64_Modems_Routers_Router_Print_Server__fs_8792_9817_e__

If the laptops will never connect to each other, and won't be in the same place at the same time, you can set both laptops with the same IP address, eg 10.0.0.1
Set the printer as 10.0.0.2 and sets its gateway as 10.0.0.1.
This way when either laptop gets in range of the printer they can connect to it.
However there will be issues if both laptops are in range at the same time.

 

by: RartemassPosted on 2008-08-25 at 16:42:46ID: 22310384

You could also setup an ad hoc network.
Check here for details:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx

 

by: RartemassPosted on 2008-08-25 at 16:43:49ID: 22310386

This may also help for setting up the printer to wireless:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01441037.pdf

 

by: bray64Posted on 2008-09-07 at 22:34:25ID: 31490041

Thanks for your help. I'm actually returning the printer because if has serious issues (my other post is: http://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardware/Peripherals/Printers_Scanners/HP/Q_23676854.html). I should have made sure it was working properly before worrying about wireless. But the instructions on setting up the ad hoc network look good and I will try them on the next printer.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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