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iDriveX · Sep 21, 2003, 10:33 PM

After looking forever and ever and ever to see if someone had set up a Wireless Distribution System with their Airports, I only found a few people. Of those few people, none of them had tried connecting a USB Printer to the USB port on the Airport.

Well I finally tried it.

I plugged the Printer into the Main Base Station in the room on the far end of the house. Then I went to my laptop on the other end of the house where the remote base station is. I opened Print Center and it asked if I wanted to add a printer. I clicked "Add..." and it rainbow cursorered for about 30 seconds. Then a "Rendezvous" window opened with the printer name in it. I selected it and then closed the print center and opened up a test Word Document. I clicked print and before I could get to where the printer was on the other side of the house it was just finishing the print job.

I can't believe how seamless and easy it was to set this up. I told myself "Ok, I'm going to use Sunday night to set up the printer and troubleshoot this to see if I can get it to work". 5 Minutes...Max. Even over a WDS it was super simple and I didn't have to reset any base stations or any crap like that. What an easy solution.

ZackS · Sep 21, 2003, 10:45 PM

Neat. I love Apple's airport stuff, it's really excellent.

Personally, I think the only cooler thing that Apple could do would be to allow airport software base stations to use bridging. Just think about the concept and you'll understand just how ridiculously cool it would be.

iDriveX · Sep 21, 2003, 11:28 PM

Originally posted by ZackS:
Personally, I think the only cooler thing that Apple could do would be to allow airport software base stations to use bridging.

Please Elaborate.

jak86094 · Oct 11, 2003, 06:25 PM

I agree that there have been few things quite as simple or fun as hooking up my USB printer to the basestation and having all 3 Macs in the house able to create Rendevous connections and start printing away...but heed this warning. Don't upgrade the Airport Extreme to firmware version 5.1.1. I printed nicely to my Airport Extreme-connected Epson printer for about 3 - 4 months before upgrading to firmware 5.1.1 and suddenly I couldn't print more than 1 or 2 jobs without resetting the Airport base station. In late September, Apple released Airport Extreme Firmware Update version 5.1.3 that fixed the problem, but for about a month I could not wirelessly print. You can find the 5.1.3 updater by searching the Knowledgebase for "Airport firmware."

iDriveX · Oct 11, 2003, 07:13 PM

I haven't had a problem with Airport Firmware 5.1.3, so I would suggest upgrading to it. As always, check the usual sources before applying an update, like the Networking forum or the Apple Discussion Groups.

Stingrey · Oct 12, 2003, 12:15 AM

The WDS station solely acts as exactly what it was described as... Almost a repeater of sorts. Your question states that you hooked up the usb printer to the primary base station. That to me was a gimme :) If it worked to begin with, it would work from your WDS connection... I searched for the reverse, and since nobody posted, am adding my .02...

Based on the layout of hour home, and the multiple attempts at getting two base stations to give coverage to this entire home, I ran into many problems... Until I found the one jack that covered one half of this monster of a house and one power jack behind the tv in the middle of the home that extended coverage to the rest of this place... After much trial and error to get the two base stations set up, the modem and such hooked up to a ups that I could hide behind one computer that was in a highly visible part of the home, I hit the nail on the head...

Problem? The layout left no room for my printer on the main base station X... Would it work from the second WDS base station??? Not only did it work, but it allowed me to put the printer under a cabinet in the middle of the house under that tv that the WDS station is hidden behind! In other words, not only did it work, but it also freed up room on my desk in the computer room, AND it was central to the home, so no matter who prints what from what room, the printout is in a non specific computer or bed room! THAT to me was awesome. Oh, and for the record, wireless internet/printing (whether airport or not) is just plain awesome, while we're on that note. On a whole other topic, anyone springing for a Treo 600 on this board?

Rey :)

Sirfishalot · Oct 12, 2003, 02:30 AM

Are you refering to Extreme base station? I think my orig base station does not have a USB connection only ethernet an RJ phone jack.

... Well I finally tried it.

I plugged the Printer into the Main Base Station in the room on the far end of the house. Then I went to my laptop on the other end of the house where the remote base station is. I opened Print Center and it asked if I wanted to add a printer. I clicked "Add..." and it rainbow cursorered for about 30 seconds. Then a "Rendezvous" window opened with the printer name in it. I selected it and then closed the print center and opened up a test Word Document. I clicked print and before I could get to where the printer was on the other side of the house it was just finishing the print job.

I can't believe how seamless and easy it was to set this up. I told myself "Ok, I'm going to use Sunday night to set up the printer and troubleshoot this to see if I can get it to work". 5 Minutes...Max. Even over a WDS it was super simple and I didn't have to reset any base stations or any crap like that. What an easy solution. [/B][/QUOTE]

Stingrey · Oct 12, 2003, 09:49 AM

Was talking about the extreme base station. In my opinion, wireless printing using the base station=the coolest idea ever. Used to leave a computer on to run the non networkable dedicated printer of the house, now I don't!

Rey :)

Casper Crane · Oct 26, 2003, 09:32 PM

I currently use an iMac and share a printer off of it.

Two issues:

1. getting a PB this week and want to be cable free sometimes. My wife prints a lot and needs the printer available. I don't want to keep the iMac solely for this purpose obviously. So I want a wireless printer, and the AEBS seems the only router that does this for USB. Is that correct or are there other options?

2. when my wife is printing, my computer slows down, and the printer is slower if I am working in a graphics program. This is especially bad since upgrading the printer to an HP 7110. Will our print speed go up with the AEBS? How does it compare to using something like an HP Jetdirect card or ext. server?

One more question, does it have any effect on broadband speed when you are printing?

Thanks,

CC

PS. I love my Treo 600. But I have had Handsprings since the Visor.

jak86094 · Oct 26, 2003, 11:18 PM

We have 3 Macs (a G4 minitower, an iBook, and a flat panel iMac G4 all printing to the same Epson Stylus Color 900 printer. Printer is attached by USB to the Airport Extreme Base Station. Only the computer being printed from needs to be powered up at the time and I have never noticed a slowdown in my Earthlink DSL service during printing.

As for other USB print servers, there are some, but I think most want to print to Postscript devices. Check Epson and Belkins. They may have USB print servers. IOGear was supposed to come out with one, but I'm not sure it ever reached market.

We had a period after updating to Airport Base Station firmware version 5.1.1 where wireless printing failed for all 3 machines. It took several weeks and an upgrade to version 5.1.3 before we could print again, but it's been working well since then.

Casper Crane · Oct 27, 2003, 08:40 AM

The reason I ask about print performance is because I currently share the printer through the iMac, and before I shell out another $200 for the AEBS, I am wondering if anyone can tell me if the printer performs better (faster) with the AEBS vs. sharing it from a Mac?

I don't see much need for the G upgrade yet, but the USB port means a lot.

Thanks.

Casper Crane · Oct 27, 2003, 03:13 PM

I am not sure if this supports AppleTalk, or if it needs to in order to share a printer without having to shell out for a AEBS.

Linksys USB Wireless-G

It's only $67 and I'm thinking it will put my printer on the network without having to buy a new Base Station. I have an Airport Base Station 802.11b, and I don't need the extra speed currently.

But maybe I should just get it now anyway?

Just wondering if this cheapo solution will even work?