# Can I turn my corded printer into a wireless?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 22, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327 "2011-04-22T04:39:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blood63](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327/1 "2011-04-22T04:39:44Z")

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I just bought an iPad and would like to change my corded printer into a wireless printer. Is this possible?

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**Author:** ![inkling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327/2 "2011-04-22T05:02:07Z")

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You can get wireless print servers. I’m not 100% sure it would work as I have not seen an implementation, and I have no idea how easy it is to get print drivers for the iPad, but with the right printer and the right network, I think it could happen.

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**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327/3 "2011-04-22T05:19:17Z")

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If you have a wireless router, just set up a printer network on Windows (or Mac OS). Then, with the right software, I think you can hook your iPad up to the printer network. The app is like, 3 bucks, or something. Personally, when I ran into that exact dilemma today, I just opened up a VNC connection on my iPad, controlled my basement PC, and had the PC send the print job over the network.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-my-corded-printer-into-a-wireless/579327/4 "2011-04-22T10:54:54Z")

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The real question is whether your iPad is compatible with that printer at all. Last I heard, only a dozen HP models were compatible and that was it.