Does Anyone Make a Remote Printer?

[Capt. Morgan]

We currently have an older HP Photosmart C4280 with a hardwire (USB) connection to our Time Capsule. This works well enough for wireless printing in the house (via the Time Capsule wifi), but the printer itself is a big space-eater on the desk.

What we would like to have is a mac-friendly wifi printer that only requires one wire - the power cord - and could be placed anywhere in the house. Is there any inkjet printer out there that does this?

 

[skorpien]

There are tons. Any Wi-Fi network printer would fit that description. HP makes plenty of them if you prefer to stick with that brand. I just recently purchased an Officejet 6500A Plus which has Wi-Fi printing, AirPrint (printing from iOS devices) and e-Print (printing from anywhere by emailing it to your printer). Search around, there are plenty of options.

 

[jdechko]

If you are just looking for a BW printer for text documents, I highly recommend the Brother 2270DW laser printer. It's wireless and does automatic duplex (both sides) printing. It's pretty fast and has served us well. It usually runs around $100 on Amazon ($150 retail), but it's dropped in price a few times. I got ours for $80.

 

[RMo]

Keep in mind that you can also get a "wired" (Ethernet) printer and make it effectively wireless by joining it to your switch (e.g., that on an AirPort Extreme router or whatever you're using), assuming you have an existing wireless network set up, as it sounds like you do.

In fact, on the AEBS and a handful of other routers, even USB will work. (You just need a router, like the AEBS, that supports print serving.)

Just keep this in mind--it might bring your price point down and keep the printer more versatile, if not more reliable (I've heard horror stories about built-in wireless on printers).

The Brother DCP-7065DN is a nice B&W networked printer-scanner-copier with duplexing, for example. Their HL-2140 (or its replacement; they might have newer model now) is a nice non-duplexing B&W printer only, but it's USB (again, usable with some routers); they make a networked version for just a bit more. (EDIT: The 2270DW mentioned above looks like a better deal, and it's even networked. I haven't checked toner prices.) If you insist on the printer itself being wireless rather than just network-capable or using a print server, however, you'll have to look at other models or the suggestions above.

 

[nutmac]

I hate to plug HP printers since Canon make better printers overall. But HP's wireless printers are the only ones that work with iOS AirPrint without any hack.

 

[Capt. Morgan]

Keep in mind that you can also get a "wired" (Ethernet) printer and make it effectively wireless by joining it to your switch (e.g., that on an AirPort Extreme router or whatever you're using), assuming you have an existing wireless network set up, as it sounds like you do.

Yes, we plug the photosmart into the Time Capsule. The complication is the girlfriend wants a minimum of exposed wires and cables. (They always have a way of complicating things, don't they?) The cable modem and the Time Capsule location are kind of tied to the wall where the cable jack is. The photosmart can only range as far as it's USB cable (providing I can hide it in some way). And she also wants the desk along the wall with the cable jack ... and it goes on from there!

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I hate to plug HP printers since Canon make better printers overall. But HP's wireless printers are the only ones that work with iOS AirPrint without any hack.

Thanks for all the tips guys. I kind of thought the new wifi printers functioned this way, but didn't want to spend the money and end up with just the same capability I already have.

I'll look at Canon and HP offerings and try to get the most Mac-friendly of the bunch.

 

[RMo]

The photosmart can only range as far as it's USB cable (providing I can hide it in some way)

Well, they do make fairly long Ethernet patch cables...

(Just don't ask me how to hide it unless you have cabling through your walls. I've embraced my cables: they're hanging on the walls with 3M Command clips, shades that blend in with the paint and, where necessary, carpet.)