Of Wireless Networks and Printers

wombat

So here's the deal. Right now I have a wireless network setup in my apartment. The cable goes to the router, and hardwired to the router is my mac mini running os x tiger. Plugged into my mac mini is my printer/scanner via usb port. Running off of the wireless G network are my laptop and my Wii.

Now my question is if there is a way to make it so that my laptop, through the wireless network, can print things using the printer hooked up to my mac mini? or do I need some other kind of hardware or something?

Thanks guys

Deusfaux

yes but the mac mini has to be turned on

you need a printserver to use the printer without having it plugged into the mac mini

or most ideal, its a network printer that can be plugged in as its own thing with its own ip address



in the first option you just add a printer and say its on the network connected through another computer (make sure the mini is turned on and shit)

Eat_Fire

you can use a printer server to plug or wirelessly connect your printer to your router so that both computers can use the printer regardless of whether either one is on.

You failed to mention if you have a apple laptop or or a windows based laptop. If its apple based im sure (but dont know how) macs can share printers.

If its a windows based laptop, there maybe (once again I dont know for sure).

I say go with the print server :P that way your Mac Mini doesnt have to be on for the printer to work.

wombat

sorry, yeah it's a windows laptop

and I kind of dont want to buy a print server because Im pretty broke. so are there any tutorials or walkthroughs or anything online that could help me set this up? or is it relatively easy?

yotes

Cheap Linux print server tutorial. All you really need is an old computer.

wombat

so I went into the printer settings in OS X, and set my printer to "Share this printer" or whatever it says


now when I go into XP, under the printer settings, and tell it to search the network for a printer, nothing comes up



am I missing a step, or do I have to type in the address of the printer independently?

Ruckus

In windows, add a printer, add a network printer defined as this:

"\\minimacname\printersharename"

So if you mini mac happened to be called "littletiger" and your printershare was called "hp3033" the path would be:

"\\littletiger\hp3033"

Windows may be able to install it's own drivers or you may have to use the driver disk or download them from the internet.

wombat

Ruckus wrote:

In windows, add a printer, add a network printer defined as this:

"\\minimacname\printersharename"

So if you mini mac happened to be called "littletiger" and your printershare was called "hp3033" the path would be:

"\\littletiger\hp3033"

Windows may be able to install it's own drivers or you may have to use the driver disk or download them from the internet.

it says that Windows Cannot Connect To This Printer, etc etc

the mac is on, the printer is on

hmmmmmm...what do I do now?

wombat

um up?