Printer question...

[Atty]

I just got my free printer from Apple as part of one of their rebate deals for buying a new Macbook for school, I got a Cannon MX300, and upon unboxing it to set it up tonight I noticed it doesn't have a USB port, no problem I thought, but then I was thinking, can I network it with my router?

Is it at all possible to hard line it to my router then have any computer in the house (the one hard line, my personal desktop, and the two wireless laptops) connected to the router print to that printer? Is that a possibility? If so, how do I go about setting it up? Is it all plug-n'-play or does it require some doing?

 

[corkyg]

I have two printers installed as network printers on a LAN with three computers. The router is the hub for all.

Your printer needs an ethernet interface. Some are built in - others need to be added. That is then connected by Cat5 cable to the router.

If your network is AOK, all you need to do is install the printer on one of the computers as a NETWORK printer. That is one of the install choices. That's all I had to do.

Later, if you have firewalls or similar software at work, you may need to set the printer's IP address in each computer's firewall as OK.

 

[Old Hippie]

This one?

The Canon Pixma MX300 offers only a USB connection, so it's ideal for single-user offices.

Or do they make more than one?

 

[Atty]

Yeah, I got it wrong, the CAT5 cable I thought I saw was the phone jack for the FAX and I couldn't find the USB attetchment because it was hidden...

...thats what I get for looking at it after a 12 hour work day at 2am. ._.

Anyways, can I just USB-Ethernet the Printer to the router and have the same thing happen? Would like my Laptop and desktop to be able to print to the laptop.

 

[corkyg]

While I've never used a USB link for that, it should work OK. Some printers have built in Wi-Fi as well, and they can link wirelessly to a wireless router. That's very cool.