I have an HP C4150 printer. Unfortunately it is not compatible with AirPort. The only way I can connect to it is with a cable. I cannot print wirelessly.
Which printers are available that will allow me to print wirelessly?
I use a cheap print server (A US Robotics 7500) to turn my Brother Laser printer into a networked printer - maybe you should try something like that.
Not to make light of your problems, but I’m glad to hear that - we have never been able to get our HP printers to work over our AirPort, either. I thought it was just us not being able to figure it out properly. We always get a printer that is compatible with Macs, so we assumed it would work with AirPort, but it doesn’t.
Doing a quick search, this site looks like they might have the information you need.
I am not familiar with the HP C4150 printer, but Airport is a WiFi hub. As such, it doesn’t care what devices receive packets. I’m confused. A packet goes from your computer to the hub and it forwarded to the address specified in the packet. If that device is a printer and the packet contains the appropriate information, it prints. Airport doesn’t print or do anything except forward packets. Perhaps there is more to the story here than I understand?
Yes.
The newer Airports have a USB print server built-in. Not all devices work with it.
This is what I assumed. If it works on the computer, it should work over WiFi, right? Apparently not. beowulff seems to know what’s going on, but I’m not clear on why it doesn’t work the way you say (and I thought) it should.
To clarify, are you trying to use the base station’s built-in print server or share the printer using a different computer on the network? Many print server devices, including the Airport, have issues with consumer-level multifunction devices or entry level printers because the drivers expect to directly communicate with the device.
I was trying to print without having a cable between the computer and the printer. I know that sounds dumb, but I’m not a network person. From my end, if I connect a printer to a computer, then signals between the two will pass over the cable and data can be sent and received. If I send a signal to the AirPort, then the Airport should send the signal to the printer (and vice versa) just as if there’s a physical connection. But some printers (such as the one I have) won’t work like that.
Are you saying there’s no physical connection between the printer and any other device besides the power cord?
Not now. When I want to print, I take the PowerBook over to it and connect it with a USB cable. When I got the printer (a few years ago, now) I connected it via the USB to the AirPort; the idea being that the computer will talk to the AirPort, and the AirPort will talk to the printer. It didn’t work. I checked a help forum, and found out that this particular printer cannot be used over an AirPort wireless connection. (i.e., the printer is connected to the AirPort with a USB cable, and the computer is connected to the AirPort wirelessly.)
I don’t print often, but sometimes it would be handy not to have to go over and connect a cable.
You can try sharing the printer on a separate computer if you have one available.
There’s an idea. I have an old iMac G3 in the smallest bedroom in case guests want to use it. But I’d have to go and start it up every time I wanted to print. Better to just buy a compatible printer.
This can get somewhat complicated.
You can start here: Macworld - News, Tips & Reviews from the Apple Experts
And here: http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2029719&tstart=-1
The bottom line is: it’s probably possible to get this printer to print through the Airport print server, but it will never scan.
I infer that the HP C4150 is not a network printer. The OP wants to plug the printer in to the Airport router? In that case, I certainly agree that not all printers will work. Sorry, I haven’t dealt with non-network printers in a long time. Perhaps you can plug the printer into a computer and share the printer that way?