Adding wireless capability to my Hewlett-Packard LaserJet CP2025

You can put it on a network and any wireless computer should be able to access it. I do this.

If you need air print from a smart phone or like device, you need a wireless printer that also includes the appropriate software (important). I do this as well. So if you need all this, I suggest a printer that will do it for you.

There are wireless print servers you can connect to the printer's USB port. But those will normally work for printing only. If your printer is an MFP device with scanner and fax, you will have to forget about those additional functions. A device like that is shown in the Link below:


http://www.tp-link.com/lk/products/details/?model=TL-WPS510U

But generally, as printers are too large to move around, you place them where they will stay, and those places can also be easily supplied with an ethernet cable, so there is no need to waste extra money and wireless resources for a wireless adapter for a printer. Wireless is only needed for devices that are mobile, like notebooks, netbooks etc. As already mentioned above those connect to wireless routers or access points that in turn are connected to the wired LAN, so printing will still work from your wireless notebook to the wired printer.

I recommend putting your printer on the wired part of the network.  Like John said, that will give wifi devices like laptops access to it.  Actually making it wireless adds to the noise in the wireless network.  In my experience, it works better with fewer problems on the wired part of the network.

Note that making it wireless (without the special software John mentions) does not connect your laptop directly to it.  The laptop connects to the router which connects to the printer which connects back to the router which connects back to you laptop.

I agree with John & Dave: plugging the printer into the network is the best way. If it's a home network, most WiFi routers also have at least one RJ45 port for this kind of use.

If you do need the printer to use WiFi (e.g. because wiring it is not convenient) then rindi's suggestion of a WiFi printserver will also work. For many printers these are problematical but, as your printer understands PCL5/6, just about any printserver should work fine with it.

The EW2500 will do what you are asking and is built to work with the color LaserJets "out of the box" but the technology, like your printer is now getting a little dated so print speeds are fairly low and you are restircted to a wireless G or B/G mixed environment.  All the comments above are valid but if you really need just a single adaptor to convert it to wireless this is the way to do it.

The other thing that might help in your decision making is the adapter is around four times the price of buying a new CP2025!

HP Jetdirect ew2500 802.11b/g

Although the other experts gave me a lot of food for thought, craigbeck came the closest to answering my original question.