Need wireless printing help

[wavinwayne]

Here's the setup:

Desktop PC running Vista.
Printer attached directly to desktop PC via USB cable.
Desktop PC connected (wired) to wireless G router. Router does NOT have a built in print server, to the best of my knowledge.
XP netbook and Macbook Pro.

I want to be able to print from the netbook and the Macbook to the printer attached to the desktop PC, but I have no idea if I can. I have enabled printer sharing on the desktop PC. What do I do next?

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

If it were me, I'd get a USB Printserver, like this:
http://www.amazon.com/IOGear-Server-1-Po...1307&sr=8-1

Attach it to the network, assign permanent IP and be done.

I did the same with my laser Samsung printer. I used Parallel to Ethernet print server, though, since it was cheaper at the time.

With you current set up you need to leave computer that's connected to the printer on, in order to use the printer from another computer.

 

[mechanicx]

Your desktop can act as a print server. You need to add the printer from the desktop server to your Macbook. I'm not sure how to explain the steps but there should be some type of printer wizard installer on your Mac.

 

[javacontour]

If the printer is shared, then as was stated above you should be able to do this.

You will have to install the printer driver on any Windows print clients and add it as a network printer.

Probably similar for the Macbook, but I wouldn't even begin to know the details on how it's done. I'd check the Mac OS driver instructions for how to add the printer as a network printer. I.E. you may need to install the driver on the Macbook to add it as a network printer as well.

 

[wavinwayne]

I finally managed to add a printer to the Macbook and configure it to allow me to print to the PC's printer. I gave up on the netbooks; I should never need to print from them anyway. I tried the method on Apple's support website to add a shared Windows printer, but it didn't work. Finally after searching for days, I stumbled upon some guy's blog from 2008, seen here: Vista-Mac-Shared_Printing The method shown worked like a charm for me. Now if my printer just wasn't such a piece of garbage..

 

[Rand]

I purchased a wireless brother laser printer from newegg for 79 with free shipping.. works like a charm and no ink to dry out.

2000+ pages on the "starter" cartridge

might be cheaper to do this than buy new ink cartridges if you dont need color.