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bought non-wireless priinter by mistake



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 7th 14, 09:59 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
micky
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 439
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.

a) I know you can disconnect a USB harddrive by just pulling the cord
out, or you risk losing data**, but what's the most damage you could do
just by unplugging a printer? Interrupt the job and have to print it
again? And not even that if your last print job has already printed?
Or if it had stopped with an error message? Maybe he can just
transfer the cable from the desktop to the laptop when he wants to
print.

b) Or he can leave the printer connected to his desktop computer and if
there were some sort of Y USB connector, maybe he could just plug the
laptop in to the other fork of the Y. The Y's are called hubs, but I
think of them as outgoing to more than one add-on device. Especially
powered hubs. Would it work to plug the common port of a hub into the
printer, one of the multiple ports into the desktop, and when needed
plug the laptop in one of the other mulitple ports. (I don't know what
words to use for common and mulitple. I mean input and output, but in
this case the data would be going the opposite direction.)

I'm interested in all this myself, so any answers for a PC are greatly
appreciated.

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?

Or maybe he can make it wireless.
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious, here's
its ad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LevelOne-WPS...em20f186d1 15
auction ends at 10:30 tonight Sunday EST

d) Hmmm. I have a USB equivalent of an internal wifi card, to receive
signals from the router. If it can receive internet signals from the
router, can it plug into a USB printer and make a printer accept,
printer text signals from the same router, coming from the local network
computer instead of the the DSL modem?
(I suppose not, or I'd have heard about it, but I don't know why it
wouldn't.)



**What if you absolutely know you haven't written to a USB hard drive
for the last 10 minutes. Is there a chance of losing data or damaging
the structure by just pulling out the USB cord, or by turning off t he
power to the external drive??

Thanks.

  #2  
Old December 8th 14, 12:26 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Paul
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13,364
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

micky wrote:
My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.


Since that printer was a bargain, now the friend
can buy two printers :-) One for each computer.

There is no reason for the printer to freak out,
if you move the USB connector. Make sure the
printer has returned to the home position,
before pulling a fast one on it.

They make USB sharing boxes, but those don't
give me a warm feeling, in terms of how long
they last. I have no experience with such things,
and I'd rather just move the USB connector. Metal
USB connectors are rated at 5000 insertion cycles.

Paul
  #3  
Old December 8th 14, 12:42 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Good Guy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

On 07/12/2014 20:59, micky wrote:
My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.

a) I know you can disconnect a USB harddrive by just pulling the cord
out, or you risk losing data**, but what's the most damage you could do
just by unplugging a printer? Interrupt the job and have to print it
again? And not even that if your last print job has already printed?
Or if it had stopped with an error message? Maybe he can just
transfer the cable from the desktop to the laptop when he wants to
print.

b) Or he can leave the printer connected to his desktop computer and if
there were some sort of Y USB connector, maybe he could just plug the
laptop in to the other fork of the Y. The Y's are called hubs, but I
think of them as outgoing to more than one add-on device. Especially
powered hubs. Would it work to plug the common port of a hub into the
printer, one of the multiple ports into the desktop, and when needed
plug the laptop in one of the other mulitple ports. (I don't know what
words to use for common and mulitple. I mean input and output, but in
this case the data would be going the opposite direction.)

I'm interested in all this myself, so any answers for a PC are greatly
appreciated.

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?

Or maybe he can make it wireless.
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious, here's
its ad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LevelOne-WPS...em20f186d1 15
auction ends at 10:30 tonight Sunday EST

d) Hmmm. I have a USB equivalent of an internal wifi card, to receive
signals from the router. If it can receive internet signals from the
router, can it plug into a USB printer and make a printer accept,
printer text signals from the same router, coming from the local network
computer instead of the the DSL modem?
(I suppose not, or I'd have heard about it, but I don't know why it
wouldn't.)



**What if you absolutely know you haven't written to a USB hard drive
for the last 10 minutes. Is there a chance of losing data or damaging
the structure by just pulling out the USB cord, or by turning off t he
power to the external drive??

Thanks.



All printers I have seen so far are wireless so god knows what it means
in your post. However, some computers can be networked and accessed
wirelessly so you need to tell us what exactly are you trying to do.

To network a printer, it needs to have a network card and some machines
come with the card like the HP ones I buy and on some you can insert a
network card. On some it is almost impossible to insert the card and so
they can be connected using what was called in the XP days as P2P. I
don't use XP anymore so I won't talk about this anymore.

Basically, the printer in connected to one computer and then all other
machines can connect to this computer to print something - this could be
wirelessly if you want it or using the cable.

Hope you get the idea.



  #4  
Old December 8th 14, 02:04 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Bennett
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

Look into a wireless print server, e.g., this
article is helpful

http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/make-w...ireless/12639/

On 12/7/2014 12:59 PM, micky wrote:
My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.

a) I know you can disconnect a USB harddrive by just pulling the cord
out, or you risk losing data**, but what's the most damage you could do
just by unplugging a printer? Interrupt the job and have to print it
again? And not even that if your last print job has already printed?
Or if it had stopped with an error message? Maybe he can just
transfer the cable from the desktop to the laptop when he wants to
print.

b) Or he can leave the printer connected to his desktop computer and if
there were some sort of Y USB connector, maybe he could just plug the
laptop in to the other fork of the Y. The Y's are called hubs, but I
think of them as outgoing to more than one add-on device. Especially
powered hubs. Would it work to plug the common port of a hub into the
printer, one of the multiple ports into the desktop, and when needed
plug the laptop in one of the other mulitple ports. (I don't know what
words to use for common and mulitple. I mean input and output, but in
this case the data would be going the opposite direction.)

I'm interested in all this myself, so any answers for a PC are greatly
appreciated.

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?

Or maybe he can make it wireless.
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious, here's
its ad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LevelOne-WPS...em20f186d1 15
auction ends at 10:30 tonight Sunday EST

d) Hmmm. I have a USB equivalent of an internal wifi card, to receive
signals from the router. If it can receive internet signals from the
router, can it plug into a USB printer and make a printer accept,
printer text signals from the same router, coming from the local network
computer instead of the the DSL modem?
(I suppose not, or I'd have heard about it, but I don't know why it
wouldn't.)



**What if you absolutely know you haven't written to a USB hard drive
for the last 10 minutes. Is there a chance of losing data or damaging
the structure by just pulling out the USB cord, or by turning off t he
power to the external drive??

Thanks.


  #5  
Old December 8th 14, 02:31 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Keith Nuttle
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 47
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

On 12/7/2014 3:59 PM, micky wrote:
My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.

a) I know you can disconnect a USB harddrive by just pulling the cord
out, or you risk losing data**, but what's the most damage you could do
just by unplugging a printer? Interrupt the job and have to print it
again? And not even that if your last print job has already printed?
Or if it had stopped with an error message? Maybe he can just
transfer the cable from the desktop to the laptop when he wants to
print.

b) Or he can leave the printer connected to his desktop computer and if
there were some sort of Y USB connector, maybe he could just plug the
laptop in to the other fork of the Y. The Y's are called hubs, but I
think of them as outgoing to more than one add-on device. Especially
powered hubs. Would it work to plug the common port of a hub into the
printer, one of the multiple ports into the desktop, and when needed
plug the laptop in one of the other mulitple ports. (I don't know what
words to use for common and mulitple. I mean input and output, but in
this case the data would be going the opposite direction.)

I'm interested in all this myself, so any answers for a PC are greatly
appreciated.

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?

Or maybe he can make it wireless.
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious, here's
its ad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LevelOne-WPS...em20f186d1 15
auction ends at 10:30 tonight Sunday EST

d) Hmmm. I have a USB equivalent of an internal wifi card, to receive
signals from the router. If it can receive internet signals from the
router, can it plug into a USB printer and make a printer accept,
printer text signals from the same router, coming from the local network
computer instead of the the DSL modem?
(I suppose not, or I'd have heard about it, but I don't know why it
wouldn't.)



**What if you absolutely know you haven't written to a USB hard drive
for the last 10 minutes. Is there a chance of losing data or damaging
the structure by just pulling out the USB cord, or by turning off t he
power to the external drive??

Thanks.

It depends on the printer. If the printer is just a printer and not one
of the multi-function printer scanners, you may try this. (I have heard
that if the print server is not bidirectional the scanner will not work
as it feeds a data stream back to the computer, while the printer
accepts the data stream from the computer.)

I watched and found the cheapest wired print server I could find. It
was A D-Link DP-300U unit, One ethernet and one USB port.

I then hooked the print server to the LAN router with a standard LAN
cable, and the printer to the print server. With this arrangement, the
Print server appears on the Local Area network and I can print from any
computer on the LAN, wired or wireless, through the print server.


While the printer appears as a LAN printer you must have the printer
driver on each computer that uses the printer



  #6  
Old December 8th 14, 04:10 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Seymore4Head
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 28
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

On Sun, 07 Dec 2014 15:59:14 -0500, micky
wrote:

My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to return
it.

Could this be a job for a Raspberry Pi?
Anyone tried this?
I have been looking for a reason to buy one.

a) I know you can disconnect a USB harddrive by just pulling the cord
out, or you risk losing data**, but what's the most damage you could do
just by unplugging a printer? Interrupt the job and have to print it
again? And not even that if your last print job has already printed?
Or if it had stopped with an error message? Maybe he can just
transfer the cable from the desktop to the laptop when he wants to
print.

b) Or he can leave the printer connected to his desktop computer and if
there were some sort of Y USB connector, maybe he could just plug the
laptop in to the other fork of the Y. The Y's are called hubs, but I
think of them as outgoing to more than one add-on device. Especially
powered hubs. Would it work to plug the common port of a hub into the
printer, one of the multiple ports into the desktop, and when needed
plug the laptop in one of the other mulitple ports. (I don't know what
words to use for common and mulitple. I mean input and output, but in
this case the data would be going the opposite direction.)

I'm interested in all this myself, so any answers for a PC are greatly
appreciated.

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?

Or maybe he can make it wireless.
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious, here's
its ad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LevelOne-WPS...em20f186d1 15
auction ends at 10:30 tonight Sunday EST

d) Hmmm. I have a USB equivalent of an internal wifi card, to receive
signals from the router. If it can receive internet signals from the
router, can it plug into a USB printer and make a printer accept,
printer text signals from the same router, coming from the local network
computer instead of the the DSL modem?
(I suppose not, or I'd have heard about it, but I don't know why it
wouldn't.)



**What if you absolutely know you haven't written to a USB hard drive
for the last 10 minutes. Is there a chance of losing data or damaging
the structure by just pulling out the USB cord, or by turning off t he
power to the external drive??

Thanks.

  #7  
Old December 8th 14, 06:00 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Ken Springer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 23
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

On 12/7/14 1:59 PM, micky wrote:

snip

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?


It shouldn't.

You didn't say which computer was the Mac. If it's the desktop, and
relatively new (mine is 5.5 years old), wireless is built-in, unlike
Windows desktops I've seen.

All of the solutions provided should work, but I networked my Windows
computers and this Mac, and attached the USB printer to the Mac. I have
a network printer now. I am not a wireless fan, so only my Win 7
netbook used wireless. When I wanted to print something from a Windows
computer, I just selected the printer, actually it was the default
printer, and printed. The downside in this type of scenario is the
computer that has the printer connected must be on. And possibly logged
in, I don't know for sure since the Mac was always on.



snip


--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 25.0
Thunderbird 24.6.0
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
and it's gone!"
  #8  
Old December 8th 14, 07:58 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Fred McKenzie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 158
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

In article ,
micky wrote:

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?


Micky-

Two possibilities:

1. An Apple AirPort Extreme (WiFi router) has a USB port that can be
used with a USB printer. (An Apple Time Capsule is the same, but has a
Hard Drive that can be accessed over the network.)

2. You can install the printer on a Macintosh USB port and share it
over the network. Take a look at System Preferences, Sharing.

Fred
  #9  
Old December 9th 14, 12:14 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 115
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

In message , Good Guy
writes:
On 07/12/2014 20:59, micky wrote:
My friend didn't think about wireless or laptops and bought a
printer
without wireless. It connects ONLY by USB. It's too late to
return
it.


(How much was the printer?)
[]
c) I think the cheapest wireless print server I found online was 20
dollars if no one else bids. Used of course. Would anyone buy
that, or
would you just buy a new wireless printer? If you're curious,

[]
All printers I have seen so far are wireless so god knows what it means
in your post.* However, some computers can be networked and accessed


Well, you haven't looked too hard; there are still wireless-less (!)
printers about, though not too many in the range normally offered to
home users.

wirelessly so you need to tell us what exactly are you trying to do.

[]
Yes, it depends why micky's friend wants to make the printer wireless:
is it just to avoid being tied to it, or does he want to use it from
multiple machines?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Old soldiers never die - only young ones
  #10  
Old December 9th 14, 04:03 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Bob F
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 153
Default bought non-wireless priinter by mistake

Fred McKenzie wrote:
In article ,
micky wrote:

OTOH, he has a Mac. Does that make a difference?


Micky-

Two possibilities:

1. An Apple AirPort Extreme (WiFi router) has a USB port that can be
used with a USB printer. (An Apple Time Capsule is the same, but has
a Hard Drive that can be accessed over the network.)


Many routers now have USB ports, which can handle printers or usb hard drives.


 




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