Wireless

[Jeannie]

Hello,
I recently got a new PC. It does not have a built in wireless card. We have a Belkin G wireless router and I would like to be able to use the wireless printer we have without actually running a wire to it.

We have tried to twice to install a Netgear G54 Wireless USB adapter with no success. The software downloads, but then nothing happens and the system doesn't even seem to recognize the adapter. We returned one, got another and got the exact same result. We called Tech Support, but they weren't able to help.

I am hardwired to the router - do I even need a wireless adaprter to use the printer?

Thanks

[Freeman]

Just to be clear, is your setup like this:

1. Wireless router.
2. PC connected with a cable to router
3. Wireless printer connected to router with WIFI

If so, you wouldn't need anything else. The first step is to make sure the wireless printer is talking to the wireless router. While it varies, this can often require hooking it up to your PC with a USB cable for the initial configuration. Once the network configuration is set up properly on the printer, you should be able to disconnect the USB cable and put the printer wherever you want.

The next step is to properly configure your computer to print to the printer. Again, this varies depending on the printer, but usually the included software will guide you through the process of installing the network printer. Just make sure, whenever it asks, that you tell it that the computer will print directly to the printer. It should set up correctly after that. For more specific info, we'd need printer model, OS, etc.

[Kindoki]

Prior to installing a wireless card on my server, I had my printer set up as a local printer (wired in) on my home pc, and then as a network printer, using the print share feature of windows. This meant that I could print from any laptop connected into my home network, as long as my desktop PC was on. It was a reasonable workaround.

[zorander6]

Unless you are moving the computer somewhere the cable won't run (max length about 300 feet/100 meters from the router) I would honestly keep the computer cabled. Wireless isn't as fast as wire.

As for the printer you may need to cable (USB most likely) it to the computer for the initial configuration to set the wireless portion up. Once you have the wireless portion set up then you shouldn't need the USB cable.

As for the wireless adapter, the wireless printer once it's set up will talk to anything that is wired or wireless. You don't have to be wireless to talk to the printer.

[Jeannie]

Thanks, ya'll!
We haven't tried to set the printer up yet, just the wireless adapter and that's where it stalled out. Boyfriend was pretty certain I needed the adapter to use the printer, but I couldn't understand why since the router is wireless. My PC is wired to the router and will remain that way, (who wants to slow down when DDO'ing? ) but it would be much more convenient to not be wired t the printer.
I iwll le tyou know how it works out! Thanks again!!

[Jeannie]

Works fine, so much for our trying to make it more complicated than it needed to be!
Thank you again for your quick and helpful answers!