WiFi direct printing

[Matthew]

I might try to add a wireless printer to an non-networked environment (my folks have moved up from a flip phone to a Samsung Android model of some sort).

They might find it convenient to print, scan, or copy texts, emails, statements, or other without going somewhere else to do it. I was thinking about getting them a small all-in-one printer but need a way to be able to print directly from the mobile device to the printer and keep any neighbors from doing the same.

I haven't used a WiFi direct configuration yet, does it allow for the printer to secure itself to a particular device? I'm guessing there's still a password or other security method that can be enabled.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Most printers are discoverable over a wifi network and printing is straightforward. You just have to log it in to the wifi - find the router, log in with the password. Then find the printer with the computer. Setup should be fairly automatic and you probably won't need the setup discs.

Scanning is most easily done with the printer app, which will allow you to remotely scan and save to your computer. Another option is to set up a shared network drive and set you printer up to save to that location. That will be another layer of username and password.

 

[Matthew]

This would be done in a place with no computer or router - one printer and one Android device only (assuming both have wifi direct capability.)

 

[Brad Z]

Are there Bluetooth printers that would work?

 

[Sac Arrow]

This would be done in a place with no computer or router - one printer and one Android device only (assuming both have wifi direct capability.)

Oh... that makes it a little more complex.

 

[Matthew]

Not sure about BT. I haven't tried this before.

I have a wireless Brother laser printer, but it's a few years old. I can test things with that printer. Problem is, all my mobile devices are configured to connect to it through the home wifi network so I'll have to disable something in order to test it.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

Are you running Linux or Ubuntu? CUPS printing from your Android device works great.

 

[Matthew]

Looks like the way it works on my Brother laser printer: Go to the WiFi direct setup - it will display the network name of the printer, and a password. Go to the mobile device - make sure WiFi is turned on, find the printer name, and enter the password. Now you can connect directly to the printer and not need a wireless network (PC, router, whatever.) Sounds easy, I might get a chance to try it in the next couple of days.

 

[cowman]

If you have the option, a wired ethernet connection works better for printers than wifi. I've encountered all sorts of problems with printers having wifi connectivity issues/not waking up, etc. When it works it's great. When it doesn't you want to get out a baseball bat and re-enact that scene from Office Space.

 

[Matthew]

If you have the option, a wired ethernet connection works better for printers than wifi. I've encountered all sorts of problems with printers having wifi connectivity issues/not waking up, etc. When it works it's great. When it doesn't you want to get out a baseball bat and re-enact that scene from Office Space.

"PC Load Letter!?!?!"

The situation I'm looking at is to get my folks a wireless printer so they can print out texts, emails, or whatever else they get on their new phone. They do not have any computer or other network devices.

Last night I did find the WiFi Direct settings on my own printer, it seems like it will be able to do what I want. I might get a chance to actually try it out sometime this week.

 

[Matthew]

Just did a google search and there are bluetooth printers. For example this $69 printer on Amazon lets you AirPrint directly from your iPhone/iPad etc. without any additional configuration. That's probably what I'd go with in that situation.

Looks like a good choice, but AirPrint is an Apple thing - turns out I'm dealing with Android on a Samsung.

I didn't look too closely into Bluetooth options, though, so this might give me some other things to check into.

From what I've seen, though, the WiFi Direct that's included on a lot of printers should do the job.

 

[RJM62]

I've yet to meet a WiFi printer that reliably connected even most of the time. By the time I sold my business, I'd started refusing to configure them for clients. I'd learned that even a perfectly-configured WiFi printer was bound to become a never-ending pain in the ass, with repeated (and unpaid) support calls ("But you set up the thing!") every time it lost its connection for some unknown reason.

Then as if to mock me, they would print just fine when I arrived to troubleshoot the problem, but would stop printing as soon as I was 20 miles away. I finally started refusing to set them up. Ethernet I was fine with. Wireless I wanted no part of.

I understand that in your parents' case, there is no router to which the printer can be connected. Unless WiFi printers have come a long way since I got out of that end of the business, I predict years of frustration ahead for you.

Rich

 

[denverpilot]

My Canon monster laser printer has never once had any problem with WiFi. Ever. I can’t believe people put up with the cheap crap with bad software that the other bigger names in printers put out claiming they’re selling a working product.

I can’t speak to printing from Android.

I’ve owned a lot of printers and worked with a lot more at the office. The Canon is the SmartCar sized monster that needs its own end table to sit on, and it just works and runs and never stops.

 

[kgruber]

My HP WIFI.......................worthless
Canon............never a problem

 

[Matthew]

Our little all-in-one Brother work just fine on WiFi. That's the one I want to test on WiFi Direct

 

[Ghery]

HP 3 in one ink squirter on WiFi works great. Dell 3 in one laser on WiFi works great.

Earlier HPs were OK until they quit working. The current one is their last chance with me. So far, so good, but if it dies prematurely (which for this OLD HP test equipment user means a decade or more from now) that will be the end of HP for me.

 

[RJM62]

HP 3 in one ink squirter on WiFi works great. Dell 3 in one laser on WiFi works great.

Earlier HPs were OK until they quit working. The current one is their last chance with me. So far, so good, but if it dies prematurely (which for this OLD HP test equipment user means a decade or more from now) that will be the end of HP for me.

I've had the least trouble with HP printers on Ethernet (basically flawless), and the most trouble with HP printers on Wireless (absurdly unreliable). Of course, this was a pretty long time ago in computer years. We're talking 802.11b days. WiFi in general has gotten better since then, so I suppose WiFi printers have as well.

I'm still a wired Ethernet guy, though. Only devices that need to be portable get permanent wireless connections in my home and office. Other devices may have WiFi as backup (so I can run them off the phone's hot spot if the Cable Internet goes down), but use wired Ethernet most of the time.

The other reason I like wired Ethernet is that I actually enjoy wiring. It's one of the things I miss about my old job, so I look for any opportunity to do it. In fact, I'm thinking about running Ethernet to the guest room just for the sheer enjoyment of it. There's no computer in the guest room and it's only about 20 feet from the router as the RF flies; but I'm itching to run some Ethernet cable, and that's as good a place as any to which to run it.

Rich

 

[Ghery]

I've had the least trouble with HP printers on Ethernet (basically flawless), and the most trouble with HP printers on Wireless (absurdly unreliable). Of course, this was a pretty long time ago in computer years. We're talking 802.11b days. WiFi in general has gotten better since then, so I suppose WiFi printers have as well.

I'm still a wired Ethernet guy, though. Only devices that need to be portable get permanent wireless connections in my home and office. Other devices may have WiFi as backup (so I can run them off the phone's hot spot if the Cable Internet goes down), but use wired Ethernet most of the time.

The other reason I like wired Ethernet is that I actually enjoy wiring. It's one of the things I miss about my old job, so I look for any opportunity to do it. In fact, I'm thinking about running Ethernet to the guest room just for the sheer enjoyment of it. There's no computer in the guest room and it's only about 20 feet from the router as the RF flies; but I'm itching to run some Ethernet cable, and that's as good a place as any to which to run it.

Rich

I understand, but the HP printers failures were unrelated to WiFi. One particular model (2 samples) failed in that it wouldn't print with the black ink cartridge. Both examples failed in the same way. No, replacing the cartridge did not fix the problem. An older HP quit feeding paper. That's not very useful, either. Now, my really old HP printers (like, 20+ years old) ultimately failed, but gee whiz, they were old and worn out. I don't fault those.