AP placement

[[email protected]]

<snip>

I just have the WRT54G. I'd have to buy an AP, but Linksys indicates that it
only works with two APs (WAP54Gs). I don't see a way of telling my WRT54G
that it's a slave. I really don't want to buy an $80 WAP to try when Linksys
says it's not designed to work.

The only way i can see that as necessary is; if you have two discontiguous
wired lans with a wireless segment between them. Your described a situation
of wanting to print from a wireless equipped computer to a wired lan printer.
Or do i misremember? If you know the IP address of the printer you should
be able to find, ping, and use it from the wireless computer. Printer driver
installation which may be needed to find the printer for printing is a separate
issue.

True, no wired LANs[*], but the existing WRT54G has the DSL router hanging off
it. I don't really want to have to disconnect from the Internet WLAN and
connect to the printer WLAN while the printer is running.

[*] There is now but just from one computer to the printer

If i understand you correctly the DSL line comes in to the DSL router which has
wireless. There is also a wired connection from the DSL router to the WRT54G
which also has wireless.

The DSL line comes into the DSL MODEM, which is connected to the WRT54G.
Everything else is wireless from there.

I guess that the printer is wire connected to the WRT54G.

No, the printer is connected to my laptop via a wired LAN. I want to connect
the other laptop to the printer.

Two questions:

Can you connect to the Internet through the WRT54G wireless port?

Sure. That's the only way. ;-)

Can you connect to the printer through the DSL router wireless port?

No. Again, it's on the wired LAN connected to my laptop. The object is to
print from my wife's laptop, which is only connected via WLAN.

The way i understand networking this should be normally: yes, yes.

Some settings may have to be examined.

Just as I thought. We were talking past each other.


What I wanted to do was to connect the printer to the WLAN and have the WRT54G
do all the routing through its wireless port.

Now that i have a correct view of your network, install the printer driver
on her laptop and it *should* find the network printer connected to the
WRT54G. It really _is_ supposed to be that simple. It may be worthwhile
to use the printer settings and WRT54 settings (yes both) to set up "fixed"
IP address for the printer.

It needs to be installed as a shared printer, and the computers will
need to be configued for 'printer and file sharing'

What does that do? If they're on the same net they're peers, as far as the
printer goes. Of course the two computers might try to step on each other.

 

[[email protected]]

If the laptop doesn't allow the printer to be shared, the other
computer can't access it. Without enabling file & printer sharing, all
you can access is the shared documents folder. I have added enough
computers to networks over the last seven years that I've had to
configure to allow shared printers. In fact, some friends are moving
their business right now, and I'll have to set up the new network.

How does the other printer know it's there? Which one gets to tell the other
one it can't have it?

 

[[email protected]]

You said it was connected to your computer. It has priority, and
should spool a print job from the other computer until your's is
finished. I've had three computers, each with a different kind of
printer on my network. A monochrome laser printer in my home office, a
color inkjet in my bedroom, and a photo printer in the shop. I could
print on any of them from any computer, as long as both computers and
the printer was on.

Oh, I thought you were talking about JKK's assumption of my Wired-LAN topology
(WRT54G at the center). Certainly if I route through my computer it would
have to know to share it. That's not what I want to do though. I want SWMBO
to be able to print without my laptop being powered on (or even at home).

You could consider a different router and get one with a USB printer
port, like the US Robotics MAXg I am using right now.

The WRT54G is located in the center of the house, about 10' off the floor. I
really want to use the WLAN.

 

[[email protected]]

Then move it to her computer, or get a wireless printer interface.
Linksys makes one. Tiger Direct & a lot of other online stores sell them
for under $50.

I really wanted to use the LAN port on the printer. I appears that all the
print servers are USB. Oh well, I ordered a wireless print server (NetGear
WGPS606). It wasn't under $50, though.

It's nuts that LinkSys' WAP54G won't slave to a WRT54G, though. I would have
much preferred that solution, though the NetGear print server has two USB
ports, so I could hook up my inkjet printer (need space for it though).

 

[JosephKK]

<snip>

I just have the WRT54G. I'd have to buy an AP, but Linksys indicates that it
only works with two APs (WAP54Gs). I don't see a way of telling my WRT54G
that it's a slave. I really don't want to buy an $80 WAP to try when Linksys
says it's not designed to work.

The only way i can see that as necessary is; if you have two discontiguous
wired lans with a wireless segment between them. Your described asituation
of wanting to print from a wireless equipped computer to a wired lan printer.
Or do i misremember? If you know the IP address of the printer you should
be able to find, ping, and use it from the wireless computer. Printer driver
installation which may be needed to find the printer for printing is a separate
issue.

True, no wired LANs[*], but the existing WRT54G has the DSL router hanging off
it. I don't really want to have to disconnect from the Internet WLAN and
connect to the printer WLAN while the printer is running.

[*] There is now but just from one computer to the printer

If i understand you correctly the DSL line comes in to the DSL router which has
wireless. There is also a wired connection from the DSL router to the WRT54G
which also has wireless.

The DSL line comes into the DSL MODEM, which is connected to the WRT54G.
Everything else is wireless from there.

I guess that the printer is wire connected to the WRT54G.

No, the printer is connected to my laptop via a wired LAN. I want toconnect
the other laptop to the printer.

Two questions:

Can you connect to the Internet through the WRT54G wireless port?

Sure. That's the only way. ;-)

Can you connect to the printer through the DSL router wireless port?

No. Again, it's on the wired LAN connected to my laptop. The objectis to
print from my wife's laptop, which is only connected via WLAN.

The way i understand networking this should be normally: yes, yes.

Some settings may have to be examined.

Just as I thought. We were talking past each other.


What I wanted to do was to connect the printer to the WLAN and have the WRT54G
do all the routing through its wireless port.

Now that i have a correct view of your network, install the printer driver
on her laptop and it *should* find the network printer connected to the
WRT54G. It really _is_ supposed to be that simple. It may be worthwhile
to use the printer settings and WRT54 settings (yes both) to set up "fixed"
IP address for the printer.

It needs to be installed as a shared printer, and the computers will
need to be configued for 'printer and file sharing'

The printer has its own network port. It does not need a workstation
to support it. It probably has its own web page.

 

[JosephKK]

I don't think so...


The printer is *not* connected to the WRT54G. That's the problem. It's
connected to my laptop. Nothing is *wired* to the WRT54G, except the DSL
modem (and wall).

I thought that you said that the printer had its own LAN port. I thought
that LAN port was connected to the WRT54G. If i had equipment like that,
that is what i would do.

 

[[email protected]]

I thought that you said that the printer had its own LAN port.

It has a LAN port, yes.

I thought that LAN port was connected to the WRT54G.

Nope, to my computer's LAN port (through a switch).

If i had equipment like that, that is what i would do.

I would if they were in the same location. The printer is in a spare bedroom
and the WRT45G is on the top of a bookcase in the great room (10' off the 1st
floor - about 2nd floor level - in the center of the house).

 

[JosephKK]

It has a LAN port, yes.


Nope, to my computer's LAN port (through a switch).


I would if they were in the same location. The printer is in a spare bedroom
and the WRT45G is on the top of a bookcase in the great room (10' off the 1st
floor - about 2nd floor level - in the center of the house).

Ah, the confusion is lifting. I think i have seen wireless client to printer
devices but they may cost more than two WAPs. Does your printer also have USB?
For that matter just what is the make and model of the printer?
I will have to do some googling to come up with a recommendation. It maybe a
day or three.

 

[JosephKK]

It has a LAN port, yes.


Nope, to my computer's LAN port (through a switch).


I would if they were in the same location. The printer is in a spare bedroom
and the WRT45G is on the top of a bookcase in the great room (10' off the 1st
floor - about 2nd floor level - in the center of the house).

After some googling, i found 3 reasonable candidates for you:

Netgear WGPS606,
Airlink 101 AMPS240W,
Linksys WPSM54G.

BTW the Linksys WPS54GU2 is not a good choice, bad documentation, difficult setup.

In all cases the SSID and other wireless parameters must match your existing
WRT54G for the device to function properly.

 

[[email protected]]

Ah, the confusion is lifting. I think i have seen wireless client to printer
devices but they may cost more than two WAPs. Does your printer also have USB?

Yeah, I ordered a NetGear WGPS606 USB print server. It came today so I tried
it out on my printer when I got home. It took a while to get everything
convinced that it wanted to play nice together, but it's looking up. I would
have rather connected the printer via Ethernet but USB is working.

Interesting, though, the WGPS606 has an Ethernet switch on it. I wonder if
the printer bits will come out of there? ;-)

For that matter just what is the make and model of the printer?

HP P2015dn

I will have to do some googling to come up with a recommendation. It may be a
day or three.

That's alright. It's working on my machine now. I'll probably try my wife's
(damned Vista crap) tomorrow. Thanks anyway.

 

[[email protected]]

After some googling, i found 3 reasonable candidates for you:

Netgear WGPS606,

That's the one I bought. No one carries this stuff locally so ordered it from
NewEgg Tuesday night. It came today (NewEgg is *good*), so it seems I'm all
set.

Airlink 101 AMPS240W,
Linksys WPSM54G.

BTW the Linksys WPS54GU2 is not a good choice, bad documentation, difficult setup.

Yeah, that's what the reviews on NewEgg said. I likely would have gone
Linksys to keep it all in the family but the reviews were really bad.

In all cases the SSID and other wireless parameters must match your existing
WRT54G for the device to function properly.

The NetGear setup makes that pretty hard to screw up. It scans for the router
and lists the possible SSIDs. The only problems I had setting the thing up
were scanning for the address (had to add it manually) and the first wireless
print attempt it printed garbage. DOn't know what happened but after checking
everything (including logging into the WRT54G to check that the WGPS was
logged in) the next attempt worked.

 

[JosephKK]

Yeah, I ordered a NetGear WGPS606 USB print server. It came today so I tried
it out on my printer when I got home. It took a while to get everything
convinced that it wanted to play nice together, but it's looking up. I would
have rather connected the printer via Ethernet but USB is working.

Interesting, though, the WGPS606 has an Ethernet switch on it. I wonderif
the printer bits will come out of there? ;-)

Hmmm. That one is on my recommended list. Using the Ethernet port should be doable.

HP P2015dn


That's alright. It's working on my machine now. I'll probably try my wife's
(damned Vista crap) tomorrow. Thanks anyway.

You might consider asking her to switch to Win 7. It is a bit cleaner.

 

[JosephKK]

That's the one I bought. No one carries this stuff locally so ordered itfrom
NewEgg Tuesday night. It came today (NewEgg is *good*), so it seems I'mall
set.



Yeah, that's what the reviews on NewEgg said. I likely would have gone
Linksys to keep it all in the family but the reviews were really bad.


The NetGear setup makes that pretty hard to screw up. It scans for the router
and lists the possible SSIDs. The only problems I had setting the thingup
were scanning for the address (had to add it manually) and the first wireless
print attempt it printed garbage. DOn't know what happened but after checking
everything (including logging into the WRT54G to check that the WGPS was
logged in) the next attempt worked.

Glad to hear you are getting it sorted. Thanks for bearing with me whilefigured
out just what your setup was/is.

 

[[email protected]]

Hmmm. That one is on my recommended list. Using the Ethernet port should be doable.

Maybe I'll try it. I have a mess of USB cables plugged in everywhere now. I'd
like to clean it up.

You might consider asking her to switch to Win 7. It is a bit cleaner.

Dunno. She hated Vista so I got Lenovo to send me a "downgrade" to XP, but
after dumping all her existing programs she wanted to stay with Vista. <shrug>
I'd also be a bit concerned that all the drivers I need wouldn't be available.

 

[JosephKK]

Maybe I'll try it. I have a mess of USB cables plugged in everywhere now. I'd
like to clean it up.


Dunno. She hated Vista so I got Lenovo to send me a "downgrade" to XP, but
after dumping all her existing programs she wanted to stay with Vista. <shrug>
I'd also be a bit concerned that all the drivers I need wouldn't be available.

Why would you have to had to dump a lot of programs? What did those programs do
that was specific to Vista?

AFAIK the Vista driver problem has mostly been solved and they are supposed to
be compatible with Win 7 mostly. Clone the system before hand, then youcan try
updating the clone. If that works you can update the master.

 

[[email protected]]

Why would you have to had to dump a lot of programs? What did those programs do
that was specific to Vista?

She had already dumped the programs because she moved to Vista. There was no
reason to go back to XP.

AFAIK the Vista driver problem has mostly been solved and they are supposed to
be compatible with Win 7 mostly. Clone the system before hand, then you can try
updating the clone. If that works you can update the master.

If it doesn't, I'm out the price of Win7. I'll wait until she buys a new
computer. Hers is now three years old, so she's made noises.