3 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Wireless Printing

If you’re tired of messy cable wires and saving everything you need to print on a USB stick or CD and having to wait to upload it to a computer physically attached to a printer, you need to consider wireless printing.

If you know how to setup your printer and computer properly, wireless printing is only a few steps away. You can enjoy the freedom of sitting on a computer or a laptop wirelessly connected to your printer, and print all you want, no matter where you are in your home or office.

There are actually quite a few ways to setup wireless printing. Here are 3 ways you can setup wireless printing based on the printer you own, your budget and more:

Setup printer sharing – For a home that has multiple devices (example: computer, laptop, smart phone etc.) or for offices with many computers you can setup a printer sharing setup on both Windows and Mac systems. You’ll need to setup one main computer as the one attached to your printer. This printer will have to be on at all times as other devices will connect to it when they want to print. You can add a password for increased security when other devices want to connect to the main computer acting as a printer server. Printer sharing is a great low-cost way to send your documents to print quickly and easily.

Invest in a wireless print server – If you own a printer without in-built wireless capability then one of the most popular options most people go for is to purchase a wireless print server. According to Axis, “a wireless print server is a dedicated server that connects a printer to a wired or wireless network and enables users to print wirelessly from portable devices such as laptops, PDAs, mobile/cellular phones and digital cameras, as well as traditional PCs. Communications for wireless printing uses radio technology such as Bluetooth™ or IEEE 802.11b WLAN technology. This means there is no need for cables, connectors or other complicated networking hardware.” Keep in mind the certain print servers only work for one brand (HP for HP printers), so if you plan to switch printer brands the server might become redundant.

Newer wireless printers – If you’re looking to buy a new printer it is best to get one with wireless printing capability built-in. This makes it super-easy to connect any wireless device to the printer for quick and easy printing. Plus most modern printers today usually come with this functionality, which has more or less become a necessity with most homes even having multiple devices. If you’re on a budget and don’t need to print massive files with A LOT of graphics you can opt for a cheaper wireless printer with 802.11b and 802.11g speeds. Newer 802.11n models are pricier and better for large format printing.

Wireless printing is a great way to improve speed and efficiency. Save time and money by subscribing to our blog for more great tips on how to get the most from your printer and ink and toner cartridges!