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[tickmike]

I have an home wired network with all Linux machines, but now my daughter has her laptop (which is wifi connected into the home network via a access point), I need a better way of using our new'ish HP Photosmart C4500 printer/copier.

At the moment we have the printer connected to the family computer in the kitchen (via USB cable) but this is proving a problem when a document is wanted to be printed from the laptop.

I was looking into setting up a network printer, but I'm not sure how to go about this.

On this all in one printer you can connect via usb cable or wireless (wifi).

So the only way I can see this set up working is to connect the printer via wifi to the access point (that will get it into the home network) ?.

Then hopefully each computer should be able to connect to it ?.


Now to get this to work I will ( I think ) have to use the CD that came with the printer ! ?.

My next problem is I use Linux    and this CD is for microsoft    I can boot into XP on one machine, so if I set up the printer with the CD for networking, will all the info be stored on the printer  ?.


Any help please.

[oldfogy]

My computers are all Windows XP and Vista.
I had three printers setup on the original PC.

When installing the printers as network printers on the other PC's in "Add Printer, Add Network Printer", I then had to navigate to the original PC and select which printer to install as the new network printer, but did not have to install any additional drivers, so I assume Windows took the driver automatically.

I don't know if this setup procedure is the same or similar to Linux, but hope it may help.

*****************

>> will all the info be stored on the printer  ?.
No, the info is stored on the PC.

But.
If you insert the CD into the Windows PC, then "if" and when asked, navigate to the CD from the Linux PC.

Personally I think you might be better of in the long run by getting your daughter her own printer.
How long will it be before she complains of having to keep going to the kitchen to retrieve her prints?

[Peter L]

I believe the C4500 has an inbuilt webserver. This means you should be able to connect to your printer over wifi, from a web browser to configure (hence no need to use the Windows CD). You will need the IP address of the printer to put in the web-browser.  I think the printer has a "print wifi config" button, this should give you the IP address it is using.

If all your PCs running linux (including the laptop) then assuming you are using "cups" you will need to configure each PC by adding new printer via the cups web interface (it may even do it automatically).

[Peter L]

Follow on from my previous post, you will also have to temporary disable encryption on your wifi network as the printer will not have a valid key. Once you've configured the printer with correct key then you can re-enable encryption. May be wiser then to setup the WEP/WPA key over USB via your dual boot XP machine first.

[HPsauce]

I've set up a few wireless HP printers recently, not sure if that included the model you have but....

They are "supposed" to connect directly to the router without using your PC. I've never managed to get this to work AT FIRST. I think it needs a router function not available on what I was using.
I have ALWAYS got it to work as follows:
1. Set up connected to a PC via USB
2. Access the printer via the PC and change it's setting to connect to the router (SSID, encryption key, DHCP etc.)
3. Disconnect USB.
4. Go look for it on the network

I have only done this via Windows AND I think the configuration was accessed via HP software installed on the PC, so whether this is doable in a Linux environment I don't know.

[roseway]

Another option is to use a network-attached storage device (very handy for backups and media streaming for example). These often incorporate a usb printer port, and although I haven't done this recently I have found in the past that a printer connected to a NAS was accessible from both Windows and Linux.

[HPsauce]

I can boot into XP on one machine

Sorry, didn't spot that.
You'll be able to do what I described then on your XP system.
Once visible on the network it will then be down to the availability of drivers for your chosen client OS.

[tickmike]

Thanks for all your reply's, very helpful.

Network Printer now Installed  

What I had to do was to boot into XP and use the supplied CD to set up the access point settings which ARE Stored on the printer (then I could disconnect the usb cable), this set up the printer also for XP printing, then I booted into Linux and installed the network printer using 'CUP's' and set it to 'Default' and printed a good test page.


I will wait to show my daughter how to set her Linux laptop up to 'Add a printer'    .

Edit... Changed the main title as it may be of help for others doing a search....

Edit 2... Just tried out the printers web server function by putting the Ip address of the printer, In Firefox address bar, I put http://192.168.0.190 press 'Enter' and all the settings etc come up.