How can I make a printer/scanner wireless?

[Navid]

A friend has an HP 2710, which is a wireless printer/fax/scanner.
It is broken. It was very expensive when he bought it.
He has found an all-in-one for only $80.00. But, it is not wireless.

He says that the wireless ones are expensive. Is that true?
Why?
Is there a low-price way to make the $80.00 one he has found wireless?

Thanks!

 

[Markbnj]

Look up "wireless printer server" on Google. There are a bunch of them. Linksys makes several in the $80-100 range.

 

[T9D]

They make a wireless USB device now.

It's probably still pretty spendy though. Not sure where to find it either but worth looking into maybe.

 

[Navid]

Thanks!

Do I have to worry about the unit being an all-in-one and not just a printer?

I am looking at the manuals of some of them? One of them said that you could use it with 4 PCs. Why is there a limit in the number of PCs?

 

[Markbnj]

The part that is a printer should be able to accept a stream from the wireless printer server just as if it were connected to a desktop or server. I'm not sure about the other functions but I don't see why they would be affected.

 

[Navid]

OK.

Does anyone have one or has experience with one used with a scanner?

 

[Navid]

http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t...ireless-server-for-printerscanner.html
http://forums.speedguide.net/archive/index.php/t-203534.html

This is what I am worried about. According to the answers on these threads, most print servers only allow printing. Scanning will fail!

 

[SuperNaruto]

That is true, find the one you want and go to the website, they'll tell you compatibility.. most of the ones i tired does not like the all in one..

 

[Old Hippie]

HP wireless Upgrade Kit

 

[corkyg]

My HP Deskjet 6980 is inexpensive and has a wireless as well as Cat5 wired capability. It is installed as a network printer and connected to a Wireless Router as are all the computers. It has an IP address and it works.

Scanning is not quite ready for that - even hardwired, a scanner is not a reliable network tool yet.

 

[Navid]

I am looking at another approach. But, I have a concern!

I want to get an all-in-one that is not wireless. Those can be found for around $80.

Then, I will use a wireless print server to make the printing wireless. For scanning, I will connect using a USB cable. So, scanning will be done only when wired.

Question:
Do I have to disconnect the print server from the all-in-one and connect the PC that laptop that wants to scan every time i want to scan?

Or, will the wireless print server have another USB connector on it that would allow me to connect the laptop to scan?


I'd rather have the print server connected to the all-in-one and never have to disconnect it. But, I also want to be able to easily connect a laptop to scan if I need to, without having to disconnect anything.