The Wireless Printer versus the DIY Network Approach
The wireless printer, of which you’ll see quite a few examples on the sites of suppliers like Ryman, represents a small but significant step forward in technology for home and small business setups. The flexibility afforded by a wireless printer, in terms of where you actually keep the thing, can be really handy when space is limited. Having seen cabled printers stored under desks inhibiting proper legroom, or simply absorbing most of the limited desk space available, the wireless printer must be welcomed as a solution to such small but irritating problems. The main advantage usually cited in favour of the wireless printer is the ease with which you can share the machine between multiple computers. You can of course printer share in several other ways, and so here we look at the pros and cons of some of these alternative, DIY options.
Taking a cable run around your house or office to multiple points is possible, but so disruptive and time consuming that many have previously chosen to simply buy a couple of cheap printers for multiple PCs. The wireless printer removes the need for both cable runs and the cost of maintaining several printers. Since you only need to buy one wireless printer, the money that you might have spent on several cheap models can instead be used to purchase one, higher quality machine.
If you run a wireless network in your home, which you will need to be able to facilitate connectivity between your desk or laptop and a wireless printer, you also have several options for effectively making a cabled printer wireless. If you set one computer up to print share, you can then also use this computer as a printer server for other PCs in range of your network. The downside is that the machine used as a server will have to remain on all the time, to allow you to access the printer with other computers.
An alternative is to purchase a dedicated wireless print server device, something you can find online or in many electronic stores. What may be not so easy is configuring your new system, as in general these server devices only work with certain makes of printer.
Some wireless routers will have more than one USB port, or a USB and an Ethernet port. You can connect the Ethernet or first USB port to your main computer, and the spare USB port can then connect to a USB printer, making it effectively wireless.
If you are financially able, purchasing a wireless printer with Bluetooth connectivity provides the best functionality of all. Not only can you place the wireless printer anywhere in network range, and print from your desk and laptop, you can also easily print from non-PC devices with Bluetooth connectivity. This means being able to swiftly print out photos from digital cameras and mobile phones, without the need to first upload data to a PC.
