Over the last few years, you’ve slowly upgraded your existing setup to include high-speed internet and Wi-Fi.  You can take your laptop anywhere in the house and surf the internet with ease.  Unfortunately, your old printer still has you tied down.  You bought it before Wi-Fi was available in everything and you’ve since stocked up on ink, so you really don’t want to invest in a new printer.  Luckily, there are some options that make it easy to “cut the cord” and begin printing wirelessly at home.

Print Server

I recently stumbled onto an article from Amit Agarwal (a blogger at digital inspiration) titled How to Make Your Wired Printer Wireless.  In the article, he outlines 3 wireless print servers that help connect your printer to a wireless network, so you can relocate your printer or simply print from anywhere that your wireless signal will travel.   In the blog, Amit explains “Wireless print servers are small devices (they look like mini routers) that have a USB port. You just have to connect the printer to this wireless print server using a regular USB cable and the printer will then become available to all other computers in your wireless network.”

The article also highlights 3 of the most popular wireless print servers:

• Netgear WGPS606 – available on Amazon.com for $62.
• Linksys Print Server – available on ecost.com for $17. ** Sold elsewhere for $75 – this is an amazing deal!!
• HP Wireless Kit – available on Amazon.com for $90.

Using Existing Hardware

I am often surprised to find out that the equipment I already have might be capable of handling a new issue or need.  In an ongoing effort to save money and help you get the most out of your PC, I investigated some ways of using existing equipment to “unwire” your printer.

Some wireless routers have a USB port for sharing printers and storage devices.  Amit even recommends the Netgear WGP606, which is technically a router, as a solution.  Maybe your current router offers this same support.  Check the back of your router or visit the manufacturer’s web site to find out.

The D-Link DIR-655 has Support for USB Devices

You can also use your desktop PC or laptop as a relay to enable wireless printing.  The process, known as printer sharing, is different for each operating system, but we found some “how-to” documents on other sites to help you out:

• Windows XP – Printer Sharing on a Home Network
• Windows Vista – Share a Printer

Maybe it Would Just be Easier…

Depending on your comfort level with computers and the amount of free time you have on your hands, you can probably get any printer setup and ready to print in an hour or so.  If you are not very comfortable with this kind of “exploration” then you might find it is time to just break down and buy a new printer.  There are many options available and some of the entry level printers have Wi-Fi capabilities built-in.  The prices for new printers have dropped dramatically over the years, meaning that you can now get a new printer for as low as $55.

I have not researched or owned any of these, but a quick search on Amazon.com revealed a few cost-effective entries for “wireless printers”:

• Lexmark Z2420 Color Printer Wireless – $54.39
• HP Officejet 6000 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer – $84.45
• Epson Stylus NX510 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One – $69.99

Tags: canon, hp, lexmark, print, print server, printer, router, Wi-Fi, wireless

This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 11:37 am and is filed under Deals, PC Support, Technical Issues, Tips and Tricks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.