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amcoffin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 23, 2010
26
0
I realize that there's not a lot of information available on how iPad printing will be enabled when 4.2 hits in November, but here's a question I hope to answer before then:

Is iPad printing likely to require an Airport Extreme connected to a printer or a printer with built-in networking via an ethernet port or WiFi?

I currently have a Canon multifunction printer connected directly via USB to a desktop PC. The printer is shared and I have no problem printing wireless from my laptop when connected to my home network.

I'm in the market for a new wireless router. I've been happy with Netgear products and was going to purchase a new WNR3500L. But then I started to wonder if the iOS printing feature was going to be linked to Apple's Bonjour service, so I installed that on my desktop. Bonjour currently does not find any printers to share. From a quick glance at the documentation, it looks like for Bonjour to work you either need a printer plugged directly into an Airport Extreme via USB or that has built-in networking capabilities (which my current Canon does not).

I'd just as soon purchase the cheaper Netgear router, which should satisfy my home needs, than splurge on an Airport Extreme. However, if the Airport is likely to be my best (or only, without buying a new printer) solution for iPad printing once that feature is enabled, I don't want to waste the money on a router that will need to be replaced in a couple months.

Hopefully that makes sense...any help would be appreciated. Am I not understanding Bonjour correctly?
 

amcoffin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 23, 2010
26
0
Thanks. Has anyone used Bonjour for Windows? Can someone at least confirm (unrelated to the iPad) that Bonjour requires an Airport or a network printer to work (i.e., that a shared USB printer will not work with Bonjour)?
 

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
Shared USB printers work with bonjour. I imagine that as long as the Printer uses bonjour, you'll be able yo print from an iPad.
 

2002cbr600f4i

macrumors 6502
Jun 21, 2008
489
0
Shared USB printers work with bonjour. I imagine that as long as the Printer uses bonjour, you'll be able yo print from an iPad.

Exactly, as long as you have iTunes installed on your Windows machine (which you do if you have iTunes installed), and you have the printer shared, it will show up in Bonjour and the iPad should be able to see it (provided you are on wifi on the same network as the PC with the printer.)
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
Bonjour should take care of everything. My wife has a netbook that we pull out on a very rare occasion. While we do have Airport networks, I see no reason why any other network shouldn't provide support. I remember a while back there was a download for Bonjour. The thing to do would be to pop over to the Apple site: http://www.apple.com/support and do a search and see if it is still there.
 

amcoffin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 23, 2010
26
0
I must not be understanding Bonjour correctly, then. Perhaps I should move this question to another thread, but does anyone have experience with Bonjour on Windows 7 with a USB printer?

My printer is shared, and Bonjour is installed, but when I open Bonjour it tells me that it cannot find any printers.

The Bonjour Print Services for Windows page is here:


And the system requirements listed there include this --

Bonjour Print Services works with either:
* network printers over Wi-Fi or Ethernet
* USB printers shared via a Mac or an AirPort base station

Hard to tell if that description includes a USB printer shared under Windows 7 or not...
 

eq2675

macrumors regular
Apr 16, 2008
122
0
Here is an idea. I don't see how it would be possible to write drivers for hundreds of printers for the iPhone / iPad

In November Apple will introduce a wireless printer.
 

kaibob

macrumors regular
Jun 21, 2010
236
67
Prescott, Arizona
I have an HP printer that supports bonjour and that has wireless built in. However, the printer is not on a network. I had hoped to be able to print directly from my ipad to the printer, but it appears that will not be possible.
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
I have an HP printer that supports bonjour and that has wireless built in. However, the printer is not on a network. I had hoped to be able to print directly from my ipad to the printer, but it appears that will not be possible.

How would that work? The printer is not a router nor can it assign IP addresses. I think you might have missed how networking works mate.
 

kaibob

macrumors regular
Jun 21, 2010
236
67
Prescott, Arizona
How would that work? The printer is not a router nor can it assign IP addresses. I think you might have missed how networking works mate.
You are correct that I do not know how networking works. I have never had one, and my iPad is my first wifi device. Thanks for clearing that up.
 

kaibob

macrumors regular
Jun 21, 2010
236
67
Prescott, Arizona
Easy. Spring for 79 dollars and grab an Airport Express. Use this as a router, that will work with your printer and iPad. If your printers uses 802.11 N, so much the better. This is all you need.
That's good to know. I have been thinking about an Airport Express because my Verizon Fios Actiontec router doesn't work all that great with my iPad. In fact, Apple sells refurbished Airport Express for $69.00 on their web site. So, I can cheaply take care of two issues. Many thanks.
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
That's good to know. I have been thinking about an Airport Express because my Verizon Fios Actiontec router doesn't work all that great with my iPad. In fact, Apple sells refurbished Airport Express for $69.00 on their web site. So, I can cheaply take care of two issues. Many thanks.

Depending on the size of your house/apartment/flat, etc.... You might want to pick up two and extend the network so that you have full coverage all over. I did this in my place. I have two networks actually. One for the computers, iPads, and iPhone. One for the other devices I have.
 

afallnstar

macrumors regular
Sep 9, 2007
124
116
Seattle
Easy. Spring for 79 dollars and grab an Airport Express. Use this as a router, that will work with your printer and iPad. If your printers uses 802.11 N, so much the better. This is all you need.

X2 spend the $79 (or even less used) and pick yourself up an airport express. I think bonjour is intended to be used with an express or extreme. I've got my printer connected to my network via an airport express (also with a airport extreme), and I've had no issues printing with bonjour from my windows 7 nebook or mbp.
 

leodavinci0

macrumors 6502
Jan 26, 2006
323
0
For what it's worth...

I use HP's iPrint app for printing from my iPhone with my HP C3100 series printer (via an Airport Express), and it works well btw. As a experiment, I connected it and networked it via a windows XP computer to see if this app would still detect it and print. Although I was able to find this printer and print to it using my Mac (with a lot or troubleshooting in the setup process, damn windows, I'm glad Apple exists), the iPrint app would not find it. Whether this will be the case for the new printing ability in 4.2, I don't know, and it could very well detect more networked printers than this iPrint app does (with respect to the network setup, not the HP specificity, I know the new printing ability of 4.2 will detect more than just HP printers). But perhaps you may want to play it safe with an Airport Express. It also wirelessly transmits music from iTunes you know.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
iPad printing will most likely send print jobs directly to a wireless printer (like my Brother HL-2170W) to print or to your Mac or PC that is connected to a printer. You honestly don't need fancy drivers, just simple printing and later on, add more advanced printing features like duplex, orientations, etc.

Or, Apple could take a shortcut and send print jobs only to your Mac or PC and let your computer do the heavy lifting. But that would suck because you need a computer in the iPad ecosystem to print stuff.
 

LAnMarc

macrumors member
May 11, 2010
39
0
Adelaide South Australia
Hi amcoffin.
Although it is not know how Apple will implement wireless printing in 4.2, there is a free app that may point to how Apple could do it.
The (very brief) description in Cortado Workplace mentions that In order to print in your private WiFi network you require a WiFi router that supports a printer connection (e.g. Apple Airport).
I have used this app to print to a Samsung laser connected to a Time Capsule via USB.
There are some issues (specifically with the Samsung printer) but overall it works quite well.
 

mmendoza27

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2007
350
48
I use HP's iPrint app for printing from my iPhone with my HP C3100 series printer (via an Airport Express), and it works well btw. As a experiment, I connected it and networked it via a windows XP computer to see if this app would still detect it and print. Although I was able to find this printer and print to it using my Mac (with a lot or troubleshooting in the setup process, damn windows, I'm glad Apple exists), the iPrint app would not find it. Whether this will be the case for the new printing ability in 4.2, I don't know, and it could very well detect more networked printers than this iPrint app does (with respect to the network setup, not the HP specificity, I know the new printing ability of 4.2 will detect more than just HP printers). But perhaps you may want to play it safe with an Airport Express. It also wirelessly transmits music from iTunes you know.

I have the same HP C3100 printer and I've confirmed that the iPad can print to a printer connected to an Airport Express through USB. Here is what I did really:

Install Mac OS 10.6.5 on my Mac --> Go to System Preferences under "Print & Fax" and choose "Share this printer on the network". Find a webpage under Safari and attempt to print and select your printer under "Printer". It works flawlessly.

Keep in mind, if you don't "Share this printer on the network" in System Preferences, the iPad will not be able to find the printer. The iPad cannot find the printer if it's just connected to the Airport Extreme, so really you need an Airport Extreme, Mac OS 10.6.5 and iPad 4.2 to get this to work.
 
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