I'm about to enter the wireless world. Help!

[Michael_386]

I've got Windows XP Home in both. HP Pavilion 752n. HP OfficeJet 7110 All-In-One. Sony VAIO- V505EX laptop.

I am about to get DSL. I want to use my laptop internet wirelessly. I also want to use my printer wirelessly from my laptop.

Can I do all this and still use my desktop hard wired for both? USB or Ethernet?

What equipment? Wireless modem? Modem and wireless router? Wireless modem and print server?

What would be the easiest and the best route for the end result?

Thanks all.

[Ernest Ford]

It is possible to share a DSL connection between a wired desktop, and a wireless laptop and print wirelessly from the laptop to a printer. I do it every day.

What's the easiest and the best - mmmm - only you can decide. What equipment - depends on what you have and what's available in your neck of the woods.

First - since you want to use your laptop wirelessly, obviously you need a wirelessly equipped laptop - does your VAIO have integrated wireless? If not you need to buy a wireless card for it. Is it 802.11a, 802.11b or 802.11g? You will also need a compatible access point or router.

Second - you're getting DSL - what choices does your provider give you? Do you get a DSL modem with an ethernet interface? a USB interface? A router? A wireless router?

The easiest way is to use a DSL modem with an ethernet interface, connected to a wireless router, this will typically have a built-in four port switch that will let you connect your desktop via wired ethernet.

Now let's talk about printing - OfficeJet All-In-Ones are typically a PITA to share - the 7110 is a USB device, so you're probably going to connect it to your desktop and share it from there, which means leaving your desktop on 24/7 - although there may be an alternative - I understand there is a network option for this which will let you connect it directly to the router.

[Michael_386]

My VAIO has integrated 802.11g.

My provider has a choice of DSL modem or wirelss modem. I asked about the printer and he said it didn't hook up. I need more info from them on that.

I was thinking of getting a router too after my research tonight. I was looking at the Linksys SpeedBooster 802.11g Wireless Broadband Router.

If I have to use ethernet to the router from desktop, I would have to set up printer sharing for my laptop??

Can you clarify your last paragraph? What network option?

[Ernest Ford · Accepted solution]

Ask your provider for more details about the "wireless modem" - does it include a router?

Let me explain where I'm coming from - a DSL modem will connect to your PC either through a USB port or an ethernet card and make your PC a part of your ISP's network - there are also internal DSL modems but those tend to be rare. You get a single IP address and can only use a single computer with the DSL service.

To get around this you use a broadband router, which connects to the ISP network on one side and allows you to create a private network on the other side - through a process known as NAT or Network Address Translation, it allows multiple PCs each with it's own "private" IP address to share the single IP address that your ISP provides.

Wireless is a little different in that there is no cable to connect so it becomes difficult to control which PC (or how many PCs) are connected to the modem, in fact, I'm having difficulty visualizing a wireless modem without somesort of router.

I've never used the Linksys model that you mention, but I do know that the SpeedBooster feature is proprietary to Linksys and will not work with your VAIO - you'll have to disable it, so it seems a bit of a waste to pay for something you can't use.

Onto the printer - I was looking at a writeup on the 7110 that said there was a network capable option - I think it's some sort of DirectJet network interface - I really don't have any information on it.

The last time I priced a DirectJet interface it was over $300, so you might want to explore leaving it connected to your desktop and sharing it from there - of course you do need to weigh the cost of the interface against the cost of leaving the desktop on 24/7.

I work from home, so there is a certain amount of equipment in my home office that is going to be on 24/7 - I actually have separate DSL modem, router, ethernet switch, wireless access point, and a Windows 2000 server that handles my print sharing (among other things) with two printers directly attached to it. This would be overkill for many small office/home office environments, but it's a function of the business I do, and the way I acquire equipment.

[Michael_386]

Good info so far Ernest. I'll be talking to the DSL provider today. Your right. From what I have researched so far, most wireless modems have some sort of router.

As far as the printer options and to avoid a directjet option. Will a wireless print server work? Or are they only ethernet? Am I going to run into problems with the printer being USB? Are there any USB to ethernet/firewire adapters?

I'll let you know more soon. Thanks for the help.

[Ernest Ford]

There are wireless print servers, but what they do is attach the printer to a wireless network - I don't see a point to them if a wired network is available.

My use of wireless is for the convenience of being able to move my laptop around and remaining connected - of course you might have a specific need to be able to move your printer around so it might be to your advantage.

What you have to be especially careful about is whether or not whichever print server you choose can interface with your printer (parallel or USB) - and does it support the scan and fax features - if those are important to you.

[Ernest Ford]

I forgot to mention USB to ethernet adapters do exist, but typically they are USB devices not USB hosts so you can't use them to connect a USB printer to an ethernet network, only to connect a PC through it's USB port, to the ethernet network.

I've no firewire experience, other than hooking up an external hard disk so I won't venture an opinion on firewire/ethernet.

[Michael_386]

Thanks again. Should I just have them give me the modem option and then I run all my wireless stuff from that if their wireless modem is not a router too?

Seems like it would be easier to use a wireless router off of the modem.

And as far as using the printer with my laptop through my desktop. I would connect my desktop with ethernet to the wireless router? Would the wireless router make the printer network capable? I don't need to move around my printer.

[Ernest Ford]

Going with the modem option from the ISP gives you the greatest flexibility, BUT, you could be giving up a free/low cost wireless modem/router that's well suited to your needs - it just depends on what they offer.

You can only use the wireless router with the DSL modem if the modem uses an ethernet interface - some are USB, these won't work.

Most of the wireless routers also include a 4 port ethernet switch so you could connect your desktop to that quite easily - does your desktop have a network card in it?

The wireless router will not make your printer network capable unless you find one that includes a print server - again - be warned that going this route could put you in a situation where you lose the scan and fax capabilities of the OfficeJet 7110

[Michael_386]

I haven't had time to call ISP back yet.

My desktop has Ethernet connection on back. Does that mean it has network card? Do I need a network card with a router?

Fax/scan- So your saying I could lose the capabilities of fax/scan through desktop if I don't have print server? I could still use the printer controls on it's front to fax/scan though right?

I just couldn't send a fax through desktop or import a drawing into a CAD program or scan in a piture to photoshop.

You've been a great help! Thanks for your in depth questions and informaton.

[Ernest Ford]

Yes - if your desktop has an thernet port on the back it has a netwrok card and can be connected to the wireless router with a cable.

Fax/scan- I am saying You could lose the capabilities of fax/scan through desktop if you don't connect the printer to the desktop. You should still be able to use the printer controls on it's front to fax/scan though right - but since I've never used that model I can't be certain.