Print wirelessly at home or on the road

Welcome to Print wirelessly at home or on the road. With the convenience and widespread availability of wireless technology, printing no longer requires a tether between a computer or handheld device to a printer. Plus, the wireless industry keeps introducing new products that make wireless connectivity–and wireless printing in particular–a reasonably priced option for almost any user.

This quick lesson covers wireless printing solutions for the home and home office user. Whether you need to print quick emails and office documents, or larger files such as photos and full-color presentations, you can do it all without cables.

Discovering connection types for in-home wireless printing

To print wirelessly, you can use one or both of the following technologies:

• Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi): This is a common wireless technology used in home and business networks, coffee shops, airports, libraries and other public places. Wi-Fi networks are referred to as wireless local area networks (WLANs), and public WLANs are often called hotspots. Wi-Fi standards include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n-draft.
• Bluetooth: This short-range wireless technology is built into many modern desktop computers, portable laptops, handheld devices and a variety of printers. It requires you to put the devices into discoverable mode, and then pair the devices. After that, you can transfer files, print files, synchronize contact lists and much more.

One of the main differences between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection is the range of access. Wi-Fi connections are generally available up to 150 feet between devices. Bluetooth connections have a more limited range of up to 30 feet.

• Infrared: This is another type of short-range wireless connectivity found on many portable computers, printers and handheld devices in addition to wireless keyboards and mice. Infrared connections use an infrared light to communicate between devices. Although infrared is a viable wireless option, this lesson focuses on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Selecting devices for in-home wireless printing

Once you choose a connection type, here are your hardware options:

• Wireless-enabled computer or handheld device: Most current computers and handheld devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones, come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces.
• Wireless printer: This type of printer comes with a built-in Wi-Fi connection, and many include a Bluetooth interface as well. You can buy color or black and white printers (laser or inkjet); all-in-one units that include scanning and faxing capabilities; or wireless portable printers that go with you on the road.
• Wireless print server: This is a small appliance that enables wireless printing to wired printers. In addition, a print server buffers print jobs, which frees resources on your computer or handheld device. This is a real time saver for large print jobs and photos. Most print servers include a mix of Ethernet and universal serial bus (USB) ports on the back, and some still include a parallel port.

You connect a USB or parallel cable between the print server and the printer, and usually connect an Ethernet cable between the computer and printer server for setup purposes.

• Wireless upgrade kit: If your computer and printer aren't wireless-enabled, you can buy a kit that includes a wireless printer adapter and a USB adapter for your computer. This is usually a less expensive option than buying a new wireless printer or a higher-end print server.

You may also purchase separate adapters for a computer or printer. These are usually USB adapters, or add-in cards that slide into a special slot on a printer.

• Wireless router: This is an access point that creates a wireless network. Many home and home office users already have a wireless router in place for internet and email access. You can connect a computer directly to the router, and then connect a wired printer to the computer, creating a "print server" through that computer. No additional hardware or special software is needed.

Understanding the numbers: wireless standards

Get used to seeing the number 802 followed by a decimal point and more numbers and letters. You don't need a secret decoder ring to understand what they mean–basically, they're all wireless standards.

• The 802.11a and 802.11b standards are somewhat older technologies, each with its own drawbacks.
• The 802.11g standard is currently the most popular, offering a relatively fast 54 megabits per second (Mbps) connection.
• The 802.11n standard will offer an even higher connection rate; however, this standard is still in draft form. Regardless, many 802.11n-draft devices are on the market and backward-compatible with 802-11g and 802.11b. If you're purchasing a new Wi-Fi device, you can safely buy an 802.11n-draft product and reap the benefits of a faster connection once the standard is final.

Now that you understand the types of connections and devices you need to print wirelessly, take a look at how to set up wireless printing at home. That's covered next.

This section walks you through setting up Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections between computers and printers in a home environment. You'll also find out how to configure a handheld device for wireless printing.

Connecting a wireless printer over a Wi-Fi connection

If you have a wireless-enabled printer, you can easily connect to it from a computer running Windows Vista or Windows XP. Here are the general steps:

1. Connect your wireless printer to an AC source and make sure the printer is turned on.
2. Select Start > Control Panel > Printer (with Vista, this is located in the Hardware and Sound category).

The instructions in this lesson assume you're using the native Windows Vista or Windows Vista Control Panel view, not Classic view.

3. Click Add a printer on the toolbar; Figure 1 shows this step in Windows Vista. The Add Printer Wizard starts.

4. In the Choose a local or network printer screen, select Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer, as shown in Figure 2.

5. In the list of available printers, select your wireless printer and click Next.
6. Install the printer driver on your computer, if prompted. If you're prompted for permission, click Continue.
7. Follow the instructions in the remaining wizard screens for your particular printer, and then click Finish.

To avoid interference between a wireless printer and your computer, locate cordless phones or other wireless devices as far from the printer as possible. In a small space, even two or three feet of distance helps.

Connecting a wireless printer over a Bluetooth connection

Enabling printing over a Bluetooth connection is usually an automatic process. Generally, when you turn on the computer and Bluetooth printer, Windows attempts to install it automatically or prompts you to install it. If Windows can't detect the printer, you can find and add it manually.

Your specific printer's instructions may vary slightly from these steps.

1. Close any running applications.
2. Insert the starter CD that came with your printer to begin the setup wizard. (If the CD menu doesn't start automatically, double-click the Setup icon on the CD or find the Autorun.exe or Setup.exe file on the CD and double-click it.)
3. Click Install Printer Driver (Windows) or Install Driver (Mac OS).
4. Select Other Port when prompted for the port, and then click Skip when prompted to connect to the printer and complete printer driver installation.
5. Using the Bluetooth configuration software on your computer, locate the COM port number for the Bluetooth client assigned to your Bluetooth device, and note that number.
6. From the Windows desktop, select Start > Control Panel > Printer (if you're using Vista, look in the Hardware and Sound category).
7. Right-click the printer's icon, and then select Properties.
8. Click the Ports tab, and then select the COM port as identified in step 5.
9. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Setting up a handheld device for wireless printing

You can easily enable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi printing from most handheld devices. However, the specific steps differ slightly depending on your device's operating system, such as Windows Mobile or Pocket PC. You should find clear, easy-to-follow instructions on the setup CD or user guide that came with your wireless printer.

The basic steps involved in setting up your handheld device for wireless printing are:

1. Establish a wireless connection with the printer.
2. Install the printer driver if it isn't preinstalled in your handheld device.
3. Install any mobile printing software that's recommended to support mobile printing from your handheld device.

During the preceding process, you'll be prompted to add a printer to your device. Select Bluetooth for Bluetooth printing or Network for Wi-Fi printing. After following the prompts, you should be able to select a wireless printer from a list of available printers.

Next, learn how to share printers on a home network or install a print server to speed up processing time.

If you have a wired printer connected to a wireless-enabled computer, you can share the printer with other users on your network. Keep in mind that all print jobs will flow through your computer to the printer, which can slow down your computer during periods of heavy printing. However, in small environments, this is often a handy and inexpensive wireless printing solution.

These steps also apply to an environment in which you have a printer connected to a wired computer, and the computer is attached to a wireless router with an Ethernet cable.

Here are the steps in Windows Vista:

1. Select Start > Control Panel > Printers (in the Hardware and Sound category).
2. From the list of printers installed on the computer, select the one you want to share, right-click it and then select Sharing.
3. Click Change sharing options. If you're prompted for permission, click Continue.
4. Select the Share this printer option, and give it a share name.
5. Click OK.

To share a printer in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Select Start > Control Panel
2. Select Printers and Other Hardware.
3. Select View installed printers or fax printers.
4. From the list of printers installed on the computer, select the one you want to share, right-click it, and then select Sharing.
5. Select the Share this printer option, and then type a name that'll be displayed to network users or access the default name.
6. Click OK.

Now the printer can be used by others on the wireless network. In Lesson 4, you'll learn how to print to a shared printer. Now that you have all these shared resources, you need to show you how to secure your network so the wrong people can't access them. That's covered in the next section.

Installing a wireless print server

As mentioned previously, you can use a wireless print server to access non-wireless printers on a network. Using a print server alleviates the bottlenecks that sometimes occur when sharing a printer that's attached to a computer. Depending on the specific wireless print server model you acquired, you have to connect the printer to the print server with a USB cable or a standard parallel printer cable.

Don't connect the printer and print server until prompted to do so during the installation process.

Most wireless print servers come with a CD that includes a setup wizard that walks you through the installation. Follow these general steps for connecting a printer to a wireless print server:

1. Close any running applications.
2. Insert the installation CD into your computer. The setup wizard starts. (If the wizard doesn't start automatically, find the Autorun.exe or Setup.exe file on the CD and double-click it.)
3. Click the option to set up a printer. This may be labeled Set up a printer or Networking or something similar.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions, clicking Next to proceed through the screens. Click Finish on the final screen.
5. If your print server requires a second installation phase to prepare your PC for wireless printing, select that option and follow the prompts.

When you're prompted to select a security option, which is usually Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), select WPA. Be sure to include a passphrase that's not easy for others to guess but that you can remember. In addition, change the default service set identifier (SSID), which is basically a name for your wireless print server.

Now that you've set up wireless printing connections, read on to learn how to print wirelessly.

Regardless of the printing method you decide to use–directly to a wireless printer, through a wireless print server and so on–you need to test the connection. You can do this by printing a test page from the printer's properties dialog box or by printing an ordinary document.

Printing a test page

The test page prints sample text and graphics either in black and white or color, depending on your printer, and usually includes printer-specific information like the printer driver and version. This is a quick, easy method of testing a printer, and can be helpful when you need to troubleshoot a problem.

To print a test page in either Windows Vista or Windows XP:

1. Select Start > Control Panel > Printer (in Vista, this is found within the Hardware and Sound category).
2. A list of printers appears. Right-click the printer you want to test, and then select Properties. The printer properties dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 3.

If you installed only one printer, Windows makes that printer the default printer (Windows Vista adds a green check mark to its icon). In either Windows or Vista, if you have two or more printers available but the printer you want to use most often isn't the default, right-click the desired printer and select Set as Default Printer from the pop-up menu.

3. Click the Print Test Page button.
4. When a dialog box appears confirming that a test page was sent to the printer, click Close. If the page didn't print, click the Troubleshoot printer problems link in the dialog box.

Printing a document

To print an ordinary document in either Windows Vista or Windows XP:

1. Open a document in an application, such as a word processing or spreadsheet program. Select File > Print (or click the Microsoft Office button and select Print). Click OK.
2. You can also select Start > My Documents or Start > My Recent Documents, locate the file you want to print, right-click the file and then select Print.

Windows Vista or Windows XP then prints the file to your default printer.

Using Bluetooth for quick printing from a PC or handheld device

Once you set up a Bluetooth connection between a computer and printer, as described on the last lesson page, you can print a document as you normally would. However, the steps for printing from a handheld device are a bit different:

1. On your handheld device, select File > Print or select the printer icon on the main menu.
2. Select a printer from the list, and then select Print.

Next, learn how to print when you're away from home.

Once you've set up and gotten used to the convenience of wireless printing at home, you'll want the same conveniences when you're on the road. One solution is to invest in a wireless mobile printer. These printers offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, or the ability to add an optional adapter for the type of connectivity you want, with all the features of a stand-alone printer but in a small, portable package. You connect to a mobile printer using the same steps as connecting to a home printer, and printing is as simple as selecting File > Print.

Of course, not everyone has a mobile printer. The next section offers various options for printing when you're away from home using a laptop computer or handheld device in a variety of situations.

Printing over a Wi-Fi connection at a hotspot, hotel and other public locations

Let's say you're traveling or just running errands around town, and need to print a document or photo. If you don't have a mobile printer at your disposal, you still have some options:

• Hotspots: Some hotspots, libraries and even RV parks and campgrounds offer printing services to their guests or patrons, usually for a per-page fee. Just connect to the hotspot, and then see which printers are available.

Because public hotspots are unsecure by nature, and the print-outs may be kept in a location accessible by anyone, avoid printing sensitive information this way.

• Hotels: Some hotels offer free or low-cost printing to guests through their Wi-Fi network. If you just need a quick print-out and aren't concerned about quality, you can email a document to the hotel and request that they deliver it as a fax.
• Printing and office supply stores: Several stores let you log onto their website and upload files for printing. You swing by the store to pay for and pick up your print-outs at your convenience.

Many of these services require you to upload Portable Document Format (PDF) files, eliminating the need for printer-specific formatting. A PDF file can be printed on any printer with all of the original formatting intact. If your operating system doesn't include the ability to create PDFs, you can download a free PDF utility from a number of sources, such as Download.com.

Exploring special printing programs for handheld devices

The following are just some of the many Wi-Fi and Bluetooth programs available that support mobile printing from handheld devices:

Before you head out the door, check the specifications for the printing program you want to use to ensure it's compatible with the operating system on your mobile device.

• CloudPrint : This web-based service lets you send documents from your mobile device to the CloudPrint website, and then print them to your printer later on from the web. A virtual printer driver, downloadable from the CloudPrint website, is required.
• PrintBoy : The PrintBoy utility for Windows Mobile or Pocket PC enables you to print a variety of documents to a mobile, desktop or networked printer. The software supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared connections. You can download this software from the Bachmann Software & Services website.
• SmartPhonePrint : This solution from Field Software enables you to print emails, contacts, tasks and calendar items from Windows Mobile Smartphone. This software supports Bluetooth and infrared connections to a wide variety of printers.

You can find many more utilities and services by searching for handheld printing or PDA printing on the web.

Wrapping up

This quick lesson introduced you to wireless printing: the types of devices and connections needed, how to set it up at home and your options while you're on the go. By this point, you should have all of the tools and knowledge necessary to set up and use wireless printing over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.