I was wondering if it is possible to use the airport express only as a wireless print server, without it being hooked up to the internet?
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Airport express as wireless print server only?
- Thread starter dibara2003
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I have an APEX on my network with an IP address assigned by my router, and yes the print server aspect works just fine when the outside internet connection is dead. 🙂
krye
macrumors 68000
How do you pull this off? I have the cable modem upstairs with a wireless router. My printer and computer are downstairs. I can't change this. I get online through the cable modem and WiFi router upstairs. But I have an AE that I want to put in the room downstairs so that I can plug the printer into it. How can I print wirelessly w/o having the AE connected to the internet?
alphaod
macrumors Core
Do you have an existing router? If you do then set the AE as a wireless expander; if it's your router, than set it as a wireless router and just set the firewall to block all outbound/inbound.
krye
macrumors 68000
How do I do that? I open up the Airport Utility and it sees the AE. But after pressing the configure button, it says there's a problem and I must check that it's connected to the internet. I can't have it connected to the internet because the cable modem is upstairs. I have the cable modem upstairs connected to a wi-fi router, the iMac is in the living room downstairs, and the printer is in the spare room downstairs. I wan't to be able to print wirelessly to the AE in the spare room from the iMac in the living room. How do I get the iMac to see the AE's printer? It seems I can't even set it up w/o having it connected to the internet.
Would it work if I plugged it into the router upstairs just to configure it, then unplug it and plug it in downstairs with the printer?
I thought maybe a graphic would help. See below. There's no way for me to run wires. And there's no way for me to get either the printer upstairs, or the cable downstairs. So I'm stuck in this setup. The AE as a wireless printer server w/o internet would solve my problem.
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Le Big Mac
macrumors 68030
The printer doesn't get a separate IP. The IP address is the one for the airport, since it acts as the print server.
Le Big Mac
macrumors 68030
You have to configure the AE correctly. It needs to connect to the wireless router as a client. Apple's site has plenty of support for this.
krye
macrumors 68000
Dang. There's no way I can connect the AE to the wifi router upstairs. I'll have to figure something else out.
The AE can connect to the wireless network just like a laptop.
You'll probably have to plug a computer into the ethernet jack on the AE temporarily to get it configured. Just put the SSID and appropriate security information in.
I have an AE in a room, that acts as a print server, and airtunes speakers, and it just connects to my existing home wireless. so the only thing plugged in is power.