Using WiFi for an access point for a printer?

Answer 1

I do not understand your very unclear question. I assumeyou want to set up a wireless print server. Here is background info.

Not all printers support network printing. Make sure your printer can work from a network print server by checking the web site of the printer maker for your exact make and model.

Assuming it will work with a network print server (nps), you will need to purchase a wireless nps that will plug into your printer's port (USB port on the nps if your printer has a usb connector, parallel port on thenps if your printer has a parallel connector).

Whenever you communicate with the wireless access point or a network device for configuration use a wired connection to the network, not a wireless one. Below are steps that require communication with the wireless access point and the nps.

I also assume you have a wireless access point (either wireless router or wireless access point actually, I will call it a wireless access point herein) and a wireless LAN. If you do not, you need to get one installed.

In your wireless access point configuration, I suggest you limit the DHCP range. If your LAN subnet is 192.168.1.0/24 (most home grade ones are) you probably have router IP as 192.168.1.1 and have used the default DHCP range from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.255. Change this so the DHCP is 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.250. This leaves you enough dynamic ip addresses to assign dynamic IP to 150 devices, way more than you need. Save the router configuration and reboot all connected pcs.

Assign a static IP to the nps, not a dynamic IP. With the DHCP change above, you have available for your static IP use 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.99 which is far more than you need. I suggest you keep a log of all static IP you hand out for future reference. I suggest you assign the nps 192.168.1.2 (subnet is 255.255.255.0, default gateway is the router IP address 192.168.1.1 most likely). Be sure to add the nps to the wireless access point's security criteria before leaving the wireless access point.

Configure the wireless of the nps by logging onto its IP and configure it to be consistant with the wireless access point configuration (all the security info must be addressed or it will not work).

Once you believe all is ok and you have powered up the nps, check for connection by pinging the nps' IP address. Open command prompt (start, run -type in cmd and hit enter). At the prompt, type "ping 192.168.1.2" without the quotes (this assumes the IP of the nps is 192.168.1.2, if you assign it some other IP, then enter the IP you assigned it) and hit enter. You should receive 4 successful replies. If you receive some successful replies, repeat the ping. If you receive some but not all successful replies, the nps is not in a good spot for dependable reception and it should be moved. If you receive no successful ping responses, you have a wireless configuration error - review what you did carefully and resolve it.

Once the ping resoponse is 100% you should proceed to complete the print server install and configure the printer on pcs per its directions