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Is it possible to use wireless without Router
phonefax
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Excuse my ignorance but is it possible to use a wireless laptop with a wireless printer without having broadband installed.
Basically I have an elderly mother in law who spends some of her time writing to penpals and collecting and playing with hundreds of photographs using her digital camera. Up until last year she had been using an electronic typewriter but over the years she has become very irritated with messing about with ribbons and etc and would now like to have a laptop.
There is absolutely no way that she can afford broadband and in any event is not at all interested in it.
She simply would like to compose whatever she wants and then print it off.
She does not want cable connections, I just wondered if it was possible to use wireless like this.
Basically I have an elderly mother in law who spends some of her time writing to penpals and collecting and playing with hundreds of photographs using her digital camera. Up until last year she had been using an electronic typewriter but over the years she has become very irritated with messing about with ribbons and etc and would now like to have a laptop.
There is absolutely no way that she can afford broadband and in any event is not at all interested in it.
She simply would like to compose whatever she wants and then print it off.
She does not want cable connections, I just wondered if it was possible to use wireless like this.
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i wouldn't have the first clue where to start though.
even if you felt that a router was better or necessary you wouldn't need broadband. just a cheap second hand router. even one that is locked to an isp. the home networking side of a router is separate from the modem side.
Random example
http://www.epson.co.uk/gb/en/viewcon/corporatesite/products/mainunits/faq/12224/1761
Or just use a "cable" router with no modem in.
For example
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR841N-300Mbps-Wireless-Router/dp/B001FWYGJS/
Only 20 quid.
edit: and charity shops. Car boots maybe a bit hit and miss, whether they work?
In the OP's instance you can buy new ISP supplied routers for under a tenner on ebay. and they would be entirely sufficient.
you are right.
I've not used ad hoc networks for years, but my experience was less than good.
Though to be honest, I would just convince your MIL to use a USB printer. Tell her a wire isn't a big deal. You'll be paying a large premium for that wifi option in the printer.
The money she saves can be spent on cheap broadband to email her letters instead of posting them.
I am very grateful for the comments and advise but with regards to her having cheap broadband, that is out of the question as she is 80 years of age and none of the friends who she writes to have the internet, they are very frightened of the scumbags from around the world who steal information, bank details, money and regular all of the other rubbish that happens. I have made a number of enquiries with Epson who tell me that it is possible to print from a wireless laptop to an Epson printer using the ad hoc setting. I have an Epson wireless printer and welcome the chance to try it to see if it works but I am concerned that if I use the ad hoc setting it will affect my own network internet setting, or is it possible to set up both. The if it works I can look around for a suitable printer and inexpensive laptop. I am 60 years of age and try to help her as much as I am able... Thank yo again for your kindness
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Otherwise, adhoc wireless is (in my very limited experience) likely to switch itself off a lot, and need re-setting up. A cheap router won't do that and the computer will stay connected through it all the time.
Forgive me are you talking about using a router without broadband.
Would the laptop plug into the input and the printer into the output using just a router without broadband if so that's wonderful as I have a Linksys wireless router stuck in my loft.
I am not really getting to grips with this router business, in my last message I asked what plugs in where but of course we are talking about wireless, so I don't quite understand how it would work, I have a virgin media wireless superhub which was installed a few months ago my printer just plugs into the main s are we saying that if I took my wireless linkseys router to my mil house plugged the router and the wireless printer into the mains, plugged the wireless printer into the mains that it would work?? thanks
no.
imagine you set up a wireless printer on your current network. so the printer was plugged in to the mains and connected wirelessly to the superhub.
and your computer was connected wirelessly to the super hub. this is the way that wireless printers usually work.
then imagine taking all that gear around your MIL's house. it would still work perfectly but you wouldn't have the broadband.
that is what we are suggesting using your old linksys. or if the printer has a network port / ethernet port you could wire it to the router.
Good grief I understood that,, you see miracles do happen,, I will be trying it out in the very near future,,, fingers crossed.