Can Wired and wireless work together on the same LAN?

akedm · 08-24-2008, 03:39 PM

Hi,

I'm thinking ahead to Christmas-time, so I got a few months to make my decision. The current setup is this :

ClearWire-brand Wifi internet connection.
Laptop computer wired to the ClearWire wifi-thingy that connects to the internet.
A network-ready wired photo printer connected to the laptop, no network yet, just have a network-ready printer.

I'd like to add a second computer - a desktop - to the mix, and I know that I'll need a 4-port router-thing at that point so the laptop, the desktop and the printer can all talk to each other and connect to the wifi-thing for internet access. I'd rather not have to replace the wired-printer, but I'd also rather not have to cable the perimeter of the house for desktop access, and I'd like to keep the laptop wireless cause it's a laptop and that's the benefit of them (portability).

So, is there a way to...

Wire the printer into a wired router in order to keep the printer?
Use some wireless transmitters/converters (if there is such a thing) to connect the desktop and laptop wirelessly to the router.
A graphic is included hopefully describing this.

Whatever needs to be done needs to be done, but I just don't want to have to do too much if there's an easy solution to this, and I'd rather not have to sell the printer cause it's a nice printer.

Thank you.

**stressfreesoul** · 08-24-2008, 04:26 PM

The simplest method would be to use a wifi dongle or PCI card for the desktop and either a wifi dongle or a wireless PCMCIA card for the laptop. The printer can stay connected to your desktop, all you have to do is share the printer on the network.
I hope this helped.

akedm · 08-24-2008, 04:45 PM

Ok, I understand what you're saying there. You're talking about those USB-drive-looking devices for the laptop and the PCI card with an antenna for the desktop. Then are you saying a wifi router would be necessary (I assume so)?

About the printer, is there a way to do this without requiring the desktop computer to be on in order to print. I assume connecting the printer to the desktop would require the desktop to remain powered while wanting to print.

**stressfreesoul** · 08-24-2008, 05:45 PM

Sorry, I assumed you already had a WIFI router (Clear wire 'thingy').
And yes, the desktop would need to be on. There are printer networking devices available. This one is for USB printers.

08-24-2008, 04:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
stressfreesoul Semi-Absent (life, eh?) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: County Durham UK Posts: 1,852 OS: XP, Win7 RC x64, Ubuntu x64 multiboot My System Blog Entries: 7	Re: Can Wired and wireless work together on the same LAN? The simplest method would be to use a wifi dongle or PCI card for the desktop and either a wifi dongle or a wireless PCMCIA card for the laptop. The printer can stay connected to your desktop, all you have to do is share the printer on the network. I hope this helped. __________________ TSF Folding@Home, find out how to do your bit in the fight against Cancer "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut" xbox Live tag: storiedmedal Warning!! GTA IV addict! Join my game at your peril!

08-24-2008, 04:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
akedm Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Anchorage, Alaska, USA Posts: 336 OS: Win XP Media Center SP2	Re: Can Wired and wireless work together on the same LAN? Ok, I understand what you're saying there. You're talking about those USB-drive-looking devices for the laptop and the PCI card with an antenna for the desktop. Then are you saying a wifi router would be necessary (I assume so)? About the printer, is there a way to do this without requiring the desktop computer to be on in order to print. I assume connecting the printer to the desktop would require the desktop to remain powered while wanting to print.

08-24-2008, 05:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
stressfreesoul Semi-Absent (life, eh?) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: County Durham UK Posts: 1,852 OS: XP, Win7 RC x64, Ubuntu x64 multiboot My System Blog Entries: 7	Re: Can Wired and wireless work together on the same LAN? Sorry, I assumed you already had a WIFI router (Clear wire 'thingy'). And yes, the desktop would need to be on. There are printer networking devices available. This one is for USB printers. __________________ TSF Folding@Home, find out how to do your bit in the fight against Cancer "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut" xbox Live tag: storiedmedal Warning!! GTA IV addict! Join my game at your peril!