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MacEgo · 06:39 PM

I need to make a WiFI network with at least 1 laser printer, probably 1 inkjet printer, 1 scanner and 2-3 computers + the ability for people to hook up with portables (mac & pc)...what do I need to make this happen?!

! guess an Airport base, do I need a server, is it nessesary to buy a network laserprinter or can the Airport base be directly connected to the printer, if I need a server could that run os9 or should it run Panther - how to configure..I need to buy all the equipment soon!

Langdon · Dec 11, 2003, 08:19 PM

1 wireless router or basestation (though a router would be better)
You can hard wire the printers to the desktop computers and share them across the network -or- buy a laserprinter with a network card built in so you don't have to have the desktop turned on at all times to use the printer.
Few inkjets have network cards built in but you can buy a print server (a hardware device not an actual computer running as a server) for them -or- buy a wireless router with a print server built in.

Then you just need wireless cards for the computers not attached to the router with etehrnet cables.

There are a lot of variations on how to do all these things. It is best you list your computers and the OS they all use. Plus your ballpark budget for all of this.

quietjim · Dec 11, 2003, 08:44 PM

Both Linksys and Iogear make USB / wireless printservers that could connect your inkjets (assuming they are USB). I haven't used these, but you might take a look at them.

I use a Netgear MR814 wifi router and have had a good experience with it.

MacEgo · Dec 11, 2003, 09:03 PM

why would a router be better than just the basestation (airport) ?

I would like everything to be wireless so not to have cables all over the place - how would that work on the printer? (is that why we need a router so the printer can be directly connected to that?)

I would like everything to run osX - but with the possibility that some people come with laptops that run windows.

Budget? I don't really know...I probably need a couple of airport bases to cover the area and then a epson c900 and some epson inkjet printer - that should be it unless I need a server...

I really want to make this as simple as possible since I'm responsible and a) don't want to use a lot a time on this b) know **** about it!

thanx for all the response...

Langdon · Dec 12, 2003, 10:59 AM

You are leaving out too much information. What is your source for your braodband connection? Is this a home network or a work LAN? Is security going t be an issue? What computers? What printers do you intend to use.... do they have to be online at all times or just when the desktop machines are on. How large of an area do you want to cover?

Without details you are making it too hard to give advice.

MacEgo · Dec 12, 2003, 10:07 PM

I'm not giving information because I don't know what information to give!

Souce of broadband? 2m/bit adsl - if that's what you mean.
Home network - or work lan - what's the technical difference? (it's a workplace)
Security will be a issue. Isn't that fairly easily solved with osx/airport and passwords?

I was think Epson c900n and epson ink-jet printer. I guess they don't need to be on unless the computers are on.
Computers - macs (g5 + powerbooks) running panther - but the network should be able to support Windows XP (and printing from XP)

Area - 120 kvm2 but on several floors.

thanx for trying to help...

si_lance · Dec 12, 2003, 10:35 PM

If this is corporate I suggest HP for the laserprinter w/ a JetDirect card (it's a printserver on a card that you plug into the printer and assign an IP). This will probably need to be plugged into one of the wi-fi routers since I don't know any wireless printserver that supports WEP (web encryption protocol - turn this "on" on the wi-fi router), but I could be wrong. The inkjet could prolly just be plugged into a computer and shared. Windows notebooks will have no problem getting on the network if they have the SSID and encryption pass (they will just acquire an IP via DHCP like the mac clients). You may not need a second router/base station IF you get a wi-fi antenna like:
http://www.cantenna.com/index.html

Langdon · Dec 13, 2003, 08:50 AM

It may be worth finding a pro to help you with this. Depending on the makeup of the building you may have reception problems with wifi. And I am not sure what your company does but it may be better off having computers with sensitive data on a wired network. It is not going to make them 100% secure to the outside world but one less security risk is taken away when people can;'t go sniffing for packets outside your office. If it were my business I would rather pay the cost of running cable for the desktops and then having a wifi centralized around the conference area or common work area, turn on WEP, and then not have the SSID broadcast.

If you don't care about that then yes, you can buy a business ADSL account and use a modem on each floor attached to a wireless router. If it is on adjacent floors you might be able to get away with just booster antennas.
I would say a router beacuse they are cheaper than ABS and just as effective. You can plug your network laser printer right into the router and have it in a central location so your coworkers can spool jobs to it.
I would get a good network laserprinter made for office uses. They are made to handle the volume of print jobs that would kill cheaper home printers in a few months.

The ink jet printer can be shared across the network if you attach it to one of the desktop machines. If no one wants to have it in their personal workspace then you can buy a printer server or get one router with one built-in.
As for a server, depending on what you do it might be a good idea. If you often share files between people or need to have updated data centralized then the investment in a server might be worth the expense.