Going wireless - help needed please

[MajorPanic]

I've decided to finally go wireless with a router & 3 computers. This seems straight froward but I have a question about our old HP LaserJet 4Plus printer.

At the moment it (the printer) is hitched up to a print server & has been assigned an IP address via the print server. This is attached to the current network via Cat5 cable & a switch.

If I get a wireless router/gateway can I just plug in the print server into the router & the printer will be available to all computers via wireless network?

[Stuart]

Just make sure the wireless router you get can handle having a printer plugged into it - not all can. (Well mine might just be too old....)

Think the modern Netgear ones can handle it no probs.

[MajorPanic]

Thanks Stuart,

I'm looking at the latest Netgear WNR834B router & the WN311B cards for the setup (802.11n). Supposed to give 270Mbps........we''ll see about that latter

[Stuart]

I normally recommend for home users the DG834G, but you may have extra requirements! (such as kids who want to kick your *** in Unreal Tournament!)

Unless you have cable broadband, don't expect any speed increase, as 802.11b is faster than ADSL, so the broadband is the choke point, not the router.

For example, I'm getting 425kbps ADSL broadband (512 connection), so 270 Mbps is huge compared to that

However, for printing, file sharing between computers etc, then the more the better (and more range is good).

What I really like about Netgear is the excellent built-in firewall and the absolute ease to set up, and to enable WEP for all the security you need!

[Wood Butcher]

I have a D-Link setup and am very happy with it but I wish I had spent the extra money at the time and got a router that had a print sever built in. The cheapest that I have seen a stand-alone print server is around $150 which is a bit out my league at the moment.

[MajorPanic]

Fortunately I'm on the Telstra cable plan that is supposed to be 17Mbps so I might see a bit of difference then

We also move large files around on a regular basis (400MB - 1.5GB) so this would help here.

[Ianab]

That router will work fine with your existing Cat5 network, infact you could just plug your current switch into one of it's cat5 ports and carry on.

When we wire something like that we usually connect the primary PC / print server etc to the router via cat 5. Installing a wireless card to communicate to an access point thats 1 m away seems a bit silly

Then go wireless for the laptops / remote PCs.

Despite what the web sites say, a cabled connection is still more reliable and generally faster. If you really need speed you can have gigabit on cat6 cable

Cheers

Ian

[Stuart]

Netgear WRG614 can take a printer, and is $73...... If you are going to plug in a USB printer then you also need PS121. You might be able to plug a network enabled printer directly, but don't quote me.

The Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121) is $113, but I'm not sure how that is then used (plugged into a compatible wireless router I think).

[Stuart]

Fortunately I'm on the Telstra cable plan that is supposed to be 17Mbps so I might see a bit of difference then

We also move large file around on a regular basis (400MB - 1.5GB) so this would help here.

And I'm struggling with my pitiful 512k

sounds like you need all the speed you can get!

[Big Shed]

And I'm struggling with my pitiful 512k

sounds like you need all the speed you can get!

Everything is relative Stuart, I have just come off dial-up (after 6 years) and I think 512k is pure heaven!

Not to mention not getting any bitching about tying up the phone line!

[Ianab]

You might be able to plug a network enabled printer directly, but don't quote me.

Should be no problem, as long as he gets the IP addresses matched up, the wireless and wired devices will see each other normally.

Ian

[Stuart]

Don't disagree with that - I ain't EVER going back to dialup. Had to use it for a friend the other day - the boredom of waiting almost killed me!

[Big Shed]

Just another thing in the country, you have to wait for Trujillo's boys to get their act together

[MajorPanic]

Netgear WRG614 can take a printer, and is $73...... If you are going to plug in a USB printer then you also need PS121. You might be able to plug a network enabled printer directly, but don't quote me.

The Netgear USB Mini Print Server (PS121) is $113, but I'm not sure how that is then used (plugged into a compatible wireless router I think).

The HP Laser printer is OLD & is parallel only, the network card for it is worth more than the printer - even 2nd hand It's plugged into a Netgear PS110 so I was hoping to be able to utilise it.

[Master Splinter]

Yeah, I guess being 15 minutes from parliament house classifies as country, too. Still no broadband. Beancounting idiots at Telstra = RIMs = cant handle broadband