Jet Direct Help

[lasernoob]

I have a Laserjet 4000 PCL6 with A 600N JetDirect ethernet card installed which I want to set up as wireless. Right now this printer is connected to my upstairs computer via a parallel cable and I am able to print from other computers with wireless now through a Linksys Router connected to the upstairs computer. However, I am changing over to a new computer which does not have a parallel port, only USB and an ethernet port. Can I print wireless with only the ethernet cable connected to my new computer and through another port on my Linksys Router (parallel cable not connected)?

Also, it would be ideal if I could use the JetDirect to go truly wireless without connecting the ethernet cable to my new computer, but somehow connecting a wireless adapter to the printer's ethernet connection, that way being able to place the printer anywhere in the room.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[trav012000]

There are Ethernet to wireless adaptors out there. I have one on my TV in my living room.

I think this is the one I have:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122373

As long as everything is hooked up to the same network on the same IP scheme, you should be able to print anywhere. Typically the print jobs will take longer, especially for large print jobs.

[lasernoob]

There are Ethernet to wireless adaptors out there. I have one on my TV in my living room.

Thanks for the reply but I don't think I explained my confusion well enough as the HP site does not make it simple enough for me.

Will the printer print from signals going into its parallel port only or will it also print from signals going into the JetDirect ethernet port (without connecting the parallel port)? If I only need to connect the ethernet port in the Laserjet to the ethernet port on my Linksys and still get wireless printing, that would be OK. My computers will then just use the Linksys to connect to the printer without going through my Linksys to a computer connected to the parallel port.

[lasernoob]

Is there no one out there that understands this stuff? Certainly the HP web site doesn't make it easy.
I guess I'm in the wrong forum.

[ridered74]

I had to read thru your original post a few times, but I think I understand what you are trying to accomplish now. It sounds like you had the printer originally shared from the original computer, which is why other computers could access it wirelessly.

To accomplish the same thing now, you need to run a network cable from the printer to the wireless router. The Jetdirect config on the laserjet will need to be set to DHCP thru the jetdirect menu on the printer's control panel. Once that is done, go to the information menu on the printer and print a configuration page. On the second page that comes out you should see the IP address for the printer (192.168.X.X probably).

Once you have that IP address, go to your computer and go to ADD Printer. Pick Local printer, then pick create new TCP/IP port. Put the printer's IP address in the box that asks for hostname or address, the rest is the same as adding any other printer.

You will have to repeat the Add Printer part on each PC that you want to print from.

[cs_steve]

Here's a link to our tutorial on network printers:
http://www.printertechs.com/tech/tutorials/networking/networking1.php

If you read through the tutorial you should come away with the basics of printer networking.

Then essentially, do what ridered74 suggested. Run an Ethernet cable from JetDirect card to your wireless router.

You could also purchase and use a wireless printer server as suggested higher in the thread; but if you're not pretty familiar with networking you may not want to do that -- when something goes wrong it's harder to troubleshoot those devices. (With those setups you have 4 devices: a printer talking to a print server, printer server talking to a router, router talking to a PC.)