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Radiating

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 29, 2011
1,018
7
Can anyone recommend a good USB print server dongel to attatch to a printer that connects to a wifi network and enables air print?
 
Raspberry Pi will do the job and only £25. You can even get AirPlay working on it. There are many guides online for both.

The only problem I faced with cups (the server software used to support AirPrint) was that because of the conversion the server had to do meant that there was a reasonable delay.

The other alternative is Airport Express
 
Otherwise there is the Lantronix xPrintServer, but it connects via Ethernet and costs as much as a new wireless printer with AirPrint.
Be sure to price the replacement ink cartridges and not just the printer itself. Lantronix was worth it to me as my Laserjet is still a very reliable workhorse with a low per page cost.
 
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Be sure to price the replacement ink cartridges and not just the printer itself. Lantronix was worth it to me as my Laserjet is still a very reliable workhorse with a low per page cost.
If you have a printer that works fine for you, the xPrintServer makes perfect sense. Then again, if your have a monochrome laser printer and toner and/or drum needs a replacement anyways, you might as well just get a Brother HL-5450DN with AirPrint built-in for $135 instead.
41Xx0szvTvL.jpg

Epson claims that their WorkForce WF-3540 offers "40% lower printing costs vs color laser", and it has AirPrint. Yet, that one would be $150 compared to the $100 for the xPrintServer.
If you have an inkjet that's a couple of years old and need it for office work, they're well worth it, too.
61DXnsLS-NL._SL1151_.jpg


As far as home printers with AirPrint go, the Epson Expression XP-600 is $118 and a nice upgrade for an aging printer as well.
61c1pE0H8YL._SL1316_.jpg
 
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An old netbook running Ubuntu permanently connected to the printer by USB will allow wireless printing both from Mac & IOS.

You just select share printers attached from the printer settings in Ubuntu.
 
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