How to connect a wireless printer to my laptop?

Topic

New Reply

Not much an expert with computers and network devices…

I have wireless Internet access through Verizon. They have supplied me with a Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH-LC11 modem. My laptop detects it when it is on and connects to it in a wireless manner.

I now would like to purchase a wireless printer and set things up such that I can print from my laptop. I guess I could set up a wired connection between my laptop and the printer using a USB cable, but I would prefer being able to keep everything wireless.

So, what I do not understand is whether I can use the Samsung modem as a wireless router and print through it. If so, how do I do that? The SCH-LC11 user guide has no instructions on how to do it.

If it cannot be done, I guess I would have to purchase a real router, right? If that is the case, how would I get the Samsung modem and the router to talk to each other? Can it be done in a wireless manner, or do I have to use some sort of cable between the two? I am thinking it must be done wirelessly as the SCH-LC11 has no Ethernet port, so how could I possibly set up a wired connection between it and the router??

Or maybe there is something that I need to set up in my laptop (through Windows 7 Home Premium) such that it detects the wireless printer without the help of a router??

I need your help!

Thanks in advance.

Reply | Quote

Replies

You should have no troubles connecting the wireless printer. I have never used a wireless printer, but I am sure you can select the network and specify any authentication info needed, so the printer should connect to the network without issues.

Reply | Quote

TB,

According to this review the unit can handle 10 connections. So as Rui says just follow the directions that came with your printer on connecting to a router and all should be fine. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

Reply | Quote

Check online the instructions for the printer you want to get, see what it recommend for connecting by wireless first.

Some printers you can setup a ad hoc network on the printer, then the laptop will connect to it like any other network.

I used the Network and sharing control panel on my laptop and setup a ad hoc network on my laptop. The printer connected via that with no router needed.

Reply | Quote

When I connected my Lexmark printer wirelessly, I just went with their on screen instructions. Took about 10 minutes or so but no problems.

Reply | Quote

No, just advances in software development.

@ tb75252
You don’t connect the printer wirelessly to the laptop, you connect the printer to the wireless network!

Most installers for “wireless” printer drivers will ask for the kind of connection (wireless, USB, networs a.s.o.).

Good installer software will read the network security key on your laptop and instruct you on how to proceed.

Reply | Quote

No, just advances in software development.

@ tb75252
You don’t connect the printer wirelessly to the laptop, you connect the printer to the wireless network!

Most installers for “wireless” printer drivers will ask for the kind of connection (wireless, USB, networs a.s.o.).

Good installer software will read the network security key on your laptop and instruct you on how to proceed.

Okay, as a matter of personal curiosity and just because I really am not much of an expert with computers and wireless networks, let’s assume for just a moment that I do not have a network set up! In other words, I have a laptop (not hooked up to any sort of Internet or LAN network) and this wireless printer that I have just purchased (it is an HP Laserjet M1217nfw). It should be possible to get the laptop and printer “talking” directly to each other in a wireless manner even though I do not have a wireless network set up, right?

All the instructions that I could find, both inside the printer’s box and at the HP site, assume that there is a (wired/wireless) network already set up and give instructions on how to add the printer to said network. But what if I do not have a wireless network set up??

Yes, I suppose I could hook up the printer and the laptop via the USB cable and execute print jobs that way. But there must be some way to do it wirelessly, right?

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what the term “wireless network” implies. To me it means that I have one or more computers connected to some sort of gateway or router. But what if I did not have a gateway/router? What if all I had is one computer and one printer and I want to connect them up to each other in a wireless manner? How do I set up a wireless network under these circumstances?

Reply | Quote

Hi tb75252,

I recently installed new Wi-Fi printers into three small offices (HP Officejet Pro 8600, which is similar to your model). I had to study the instructions and owner’s manual considerably, because they were not well written. I think there are 5 different ways to connect to the printer and configure features.

I agree with the other posters that if you want the printer’s features, you should either connect by USB or Ethernet, or get yourself a Wi-Fi router. Note that you can’t connect both wirelessly and by wire at the same time.

My printers would connect to whatever router I had via Wi-Fi. In that mode, they had software that helped git ‘er done quite easily. They will also accept an “ad hoc” Wi-Fi interface from another device, such as a cell phone with Wi-Fi. In these cases, the phone could send a document to print and it worked fine.

These printers even had their own email address on the @hpeprint.com domain. Anyone with permission can send a print job in via an email attachment from any Internet-connected computer. That works fairly well (for certain file types), too.

Simillar to a router, these printers have their own web interface that can be accesses from the network by entering the printer’s network IP address into a local computer’s web browser. The web interface also had a way to accept print jobs and do scanning!

My challenge was setting up connections so that various local computers could scan on the all-in-one printers and receive the scanned document (In other words, flow information the opposite direction than with a print job). I think your printer can do that. I was successful in all cases except if a Windows PC had multiple windows user accounts.

The “ad hoc” Wi-Fi interface will not send scans from the printer to the phone or device.

My overall impression is that this new generation of HP office printers have built-in smarts to allow several means of connecting, but that HP’s software is not well integrated yet to guide one through the setup–and the documentation needs to be re-written.

Good luck!
Dave

Who is John Galt?

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 with Windows 10, MS Office. Samsung Galaxy S9+ with Android 10.

Reply | Quote

Okay, . . . let’s assume for just a moment that I do not have a network set up!

As most documentation sees it then you don’t have a wireless network.

In other words, I have a laptop . . . and this wireless printer that I have just purchased (it is an HP Laserjet M1217nfw). It should be possible to get the laptop and printer “talking” directly to each other in a wireless manner even though I do not have a wireless network set up, right?

Correct. The following depending on my memory, thus maybe undependable:
Some (older?) HP and/or Brother printers had descriptions on how to set your wireless computer to a network called SETUP for direct ad-hoc communication. But that required to change network settings on the computer temportarily and was used only to transmit the “real’, final networksettings to the printer. Then you had to manually reset the computer’s network settings to what they were before. Clumsy and not a real option if you used your laptop for what it’s meant for, meaning changes in location and network.

. . . But what if I do not have a wireless network set up??

Plum out of luck, fall back to a USB cable.

Yes, I suppose I could hook up the printer and the laptop via the USB cable and execute print jobs that way. But there must be some way to do it wirelessly, right?

IMHO not without a router or gateway.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding what the term “wireless network” implies. To me it means that I have one or more computers connected to some sort of gateway or router.

Correct. If you have among those connections at least one wireless connection then you have a working wireless network.

But what if I did not have a gateway/router?

Again, IMHO then you don’t have a wireless network.

What if all I had is one computer and one printer and I want to connect them up to each other in a wireless manner? How do I set up a wireless network under these circumstances?

Depending on the printer! Some wireless printers allow manual input of wireless parameters. Then you could create in the computer an an hoc network and set it’s SSID and security key and so on in the printer.

Reply | Quote

What if all I had is one computer and one printer and I want to connect them up to each other in a wireless manner? How do I set up a wireless network under these circumstances?

Easy just setup a Ad Hoc Network on your laptop, then just follow your printer instructions for connecting to a network. The printer will see your laptop just like any other network. It’s simple, I have a wireless epson and laptop and do it.

Just go to the Network and Sharing Center, Click on Set up a new connection or network, then click on Set up a wireless ad hoc(computer to computer) network. Follow the wizard instructions.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/set-up-a-computer-to-computer-ad-hoc-network

Reply | Quote

I don’t think the “Ad-Hoc” setup would work, Windows only connects to 1 wireless at a time, which would mean either internet or printer, but not both at the same time. Using the Panel on the printer itself, connect it to the existing wireless network (the 4G Mobile Hotspot) using the same SSID and Encryption code as the laptop. Then install the Software on the laptop, selecting “Network” as the connection type – barring firewall issues, it should find and install the printer without further problem.

Good Luck
JohnBrown
Halifax, NS

Reply | Quote

It apparantly is possible, (I’ve never done it) but its not easy. You need to set up an ADHOC network between the laptop and the Printer. Look for the word ADHOC in your printer manual. Here’s one HP page that describes the process but your printer may have different requirements:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00035871&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=&product=305980&rule=8674

Jerry

Reply | Quote

It apparantly is possible, (I’ve never done it) but its not easy. You need to set up an ADHOC network between the laptop and the Printer. Look for the word ADHOC in your printer manual. Here’s one HP page that describes the process but your printer may have different requirements:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00035871&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=&product=305980&rule=8674

Jerry

Thanks, Jerry!

Reply | Quote