Could someone please help a techinical dumb dumb

[JohnnyOne]

I am trying to set up something that is way beyond my realm of knowledge and or understanding.

I currently have a 3 year old Dell hard wired to an DSL connection and I have 2 printers hard wired to the computer. My wife gets the big idea to buy a MacBook for her and the kids.

She now wants wireless internet and the ability to print wirelessly. She also bought the Linksys WRT150N wireless router. I don't have the Mac yet (arrives Friday) but I know it has an n capable card in it.

I really don't want to get into networking because I am a technical idiot and hate computers.

I would like to be able to set up wireless internet for both computers and be able to share the printers (an HP 3 in one and a Brother 3 in one laser printer/fax)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[FRAM]

You should be able to leave you computers hardwired as is. Quite often the wireless hubs have rj45 connections.

You'll need to check if your printer supports Macs.

Not all multi-functions work with Macs. Well more than print that is. Quite often the scan and fax functions do not work with Macs.


Then check out Wireless Print Servers.

You will need to check

A) they match your network speed. ("n")

and

B) they support multi-function printers.


If you decide you do not want to incur the costs of the print server you can continue to leave your printers hardwired to your computer and share them on the network.

I hope this is a good start for you.

[cdnredraider]

As far as the printers, the print should work (at least the brother). The scanner and fax will work also, but it might need some extra searching. Just post up the printer models if there is a prob and someone can prob help you.

I looked at that Linksys router and I'm not sure if it has network printing on it. You could hook up to the Dell and go through that. I should be able to tell you how to do that soon since I just got a dell to go with my iMac(at the dell).

[JohnnyOne]

Thanks for the reply; I don't really know how to check print servers (I am really technically challenged).

But from the posts so far here are a few questions:

If my desktop does not support n speed can I just hard wire it to the router since they are located in the same room and still use the Mac with wireless internet.

How or what do the printers connect to for wireless printing if I don't set up a network. Someone told me to get a wireless printer server but how does it all connect???

Sorry for the dumb questions

[FRAM]

Originally Posted by JohnnyOne

Thanks for the reply; I don't really know how to check print servers (I am really technically challenged).

No problem. You can chose to leave your current printer setup. Do you currently share your printer(s) between the two computers? Do you share your computer's files with each computer? It is similar to this.

Originally Posted by JohnnyOne

If my desktop does not support n speed can I just hard wire it to the router since they are located in the same room and still use the Mac with wireless internet.

To make your existing computers wireless you will need to buy wireless adapters for them. The adapters would hook up via a USB port. I would recommend leaving the computers connected as is for now. It's easier and cheaper. Just hook up your wireless router to your DSL connection much like your computers.

Originally Posted by JohnnyOne

How or what do the printers connect to for wireless printing if I don't set up a network. Someone told me to get a wireless printer server but how does it all connect???

I would recommend just leaving your existing setup and share your printer(s) instead. There are wizards in WinXP to do this. It's best if you have a buddy close by that can come over and show you how to do this if you are uncomfortable with this. Heck a younger family relative might be able to help.

[Kael]

Cheapest route?

Are both printers on the network (built-in-NIC's)? If so - Not sure if MAC's support print-via-ip. But that would be the quickest/simplicist route if they did. You'd just need to setup an IP port on the MAC (one for each printer, specific to that printers IP#). Whammo. Done. If they aren't on the network, a print server would be necessary. I can't remember if MAC's will talk to a Windows share, because you could share the printer out on Windows and then hit them that way, it'd be your print-server at that point.

Leave the Dell hardwired. Most wireless routers come with a built in hub (usually 4port). Unless you bought an Access Point, that should be the case.

[punisher]

or buy an airport express, link it to your printer and print.

also you can print with your pc via the airport express if you have a wireless card in it and download the free program Bonjour from the mac site.

that's what i did.

Pun.

[JohnnyOne]

Originally Posted by punisher

or buy an airport express, link it to your printer and print.

also you can print with your pc via the airport express if you have a wireless card in it and download the free program Bonjour from the mac site.

that's what i did.

Pun.

Thanks everyone so far; still abit confused. So here is where I am at:

Took back the Linksys (read too many bad things) and got an Apple Airport Extreme. Got the Macbook in Friday and should get the APX today. My printers are not network printers and my Dell desktop does not have a wireless card

SOOOOO

Someone tell me if this is what I do:

Hard wire the Dell to the Airport Extreme

Connect the Macbook to the AE wirlessly

Share my printers to my Macbook through my Dell Desktop

And last big question: is there a way to connect the printers so that I don't have to have the Dell running to print with my Macbook.

thanks,

John.

[rbrownie]

I like to think I know what I am doing but I ran across a couple problems when trying this at my inlaws.

First off, the desktop is a Dell that is hardwired to a wireless router. They then bought a macbook with Leopard. Now, I am not a mac person so this is where I ran into the problem.

I setup the Dell to share the HP all-in-one printer. No problem there.

The problem came when I tried to get the Macbook to recognize the shared printer over a network. The macbook would not find it??


The macbook would recognize the network (it had internet connectivity) but the shared printer could not be found any where...

Here are a few help sites I tried.

Macworld: sharing printer between Windows and MacBook