EggXpert

All right so I have been wanting to get a printer for a long time. I have a wireless card in my computer but I am stuck with dial-up internet.  So I was wondering if I got a wireless printer with a router if I would be able to use it without the high-speed internet or anything like that.  Or would I be better to just get a bluetooth printer.  Thanks for the help. ^^

Yes of course you can, just make sure if it is a USB printer that you get a router that is also a "Print Server" to handle your printer. (many of them can also use scanners as well)

 

I could be mistaken and just confused but would I need a router or anything with HP Photosmart C4385?  Oh and would it be better to just get a print server, if that is what I would need, or a regular router.  Okay, I'm confusing myself.  What would be the best way to connect a printer to my computer (that has a wireless card) without all of the cords and everything, and what would I need?  I should have just asked that to begin with....

Well there are two ways you can do this, well two easiest ways to do this.. You dont need a printer sever because it is a wireless sever as is... So Buy a wireless router, have it(printer) find the network you setup after you setup the router and have your computer connected to it. Once you find the netork type in the wep code or wait till later to secure your wireless and your done... Its not very hard to do it this way, Ive done it several times myself with multiple printers on the same network.. Second way would be to connect the printer to your computer, once again buy a wireless or wired router would work if all computers are in the same room, and share the printer on your computer accorss the network, by going into control panel and then into printer and fax options.. Either way will work, but if your gonna have computers in seperate rooms, go with the first option... I would also recommend the first option before the second one its much easier, and the user manual should explain how to set it up on a router.

I've dealt with networking printers enough that I can lend some kind of insight. You have a few options, easiest listed at the top:

1. Get a printer with a built-in network (LAN) connection. Instead of installing it on a PC, you'll just plug it into your wireless router. Then from each PC you run the printer install software and tell it to look on the network for your printer (any network-enabled printer should have that as a feature in their installer).
2. Like the user above me noted, you can install the printer like normal on one PC via it's USB cord, and share it to the rest of the household. Then you install it on the other PCs via the LAN. It's very easy to do, try a google search like 'sharing printers windows xp'.
3. Use a print server (or a router with a built in print server). I wouldn't recommend this as it can be a headache and ends up being more work. Use the extra money you would spend on this towards getting a network-enabled printer instead.

You can install the printer at any LAN connection in your house. If the network plug is already being used by a PC, just get a $15 network switch and plug them both into it.