Need help with my new wireless printer

[notageek]

I just bought a new wireless HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One printer, scanner, copier. I want to know if I can use it with both of my two wireless laptops. My new HP wireless laptop is connected to the Internet with an Alltel wireless card and my older Gateway wireless laptop connects to the Internet through dial-up. I have no DSL high speed Internet, so I am wondering if just installing the new printer software on both laptops would allow me to print from both laptops to the new wireless printer. Do I need to buy anything extra to make this work, like a router? Or do I have to set up a network between both laptops and the printer? If so, I have no idea how to do that. Can anyone help me? thanks.

 

[kimsland]

See if the other computers with wireless connection can find it: https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic100655.html

 

[notageek]

Both laptops can find the printer, but I can't print anything from either laptop. I get a message that the printer is "off line". The only way I can get the printer to work is to plug in the printer cable to my laptop.

 

[kimsland]

Is the page setup correctly A4 or A5
Is the Printer actually set offline? (You need to right click on it and make it online - in Printers in Control Panel)

There is another way
Uninstall all the drivers again, then run the AutoDetection button again (or just right click and remove the printer)
It should set it up correctly

 

[notageek]

Thanks, kinsland. I have worried with setting up this wireless printer for hours and I think I will try again tomorrow. The instructions that came with it said to install the software CD, which I did on the HP laptop ... should I uninstall the software and printer driver and then see if the computer will detect the printer and set up by itself? I am not much on wireless setups. I hope I'm not too old to learn (I'm 62). I did not install the software on the Gateway laptop and it found the printer ... but it would not print. An HP box popped up with something about network sharing and it stated I MUST be online. When I got online, I didn't understand what I was supposed to do. Maybe my mind will be "fresher" tomorrow. I'll check back and see if you or anyone else has added to this thread. Thanks again.

 

[kimsland]

If you uninstall you do not need to allow windows to find it again (just cancel any Windows found message)

And run that AutoDetection box H e r e

I must admit Wireless is either really simple (and takes 30secs) or really hard and takes hours! (Try explaining that to someone who set it up in 5 mins, and they'll nah it's easy - sometimes No)

Also if you have a 3rd party Firewall, just fully uninstall it (to take it out of the equation)

 

[notageek]

Hi kimsland! I FINALLY got my wireless printer to work with both wireless laptops this evening. I first had to create a network on my HP laptop (which I named HP Wireless Printer). THEN I installed the printer software on both the HP and Gateway laptops. The software, along with the printer owner's manual, guided me through the final process of tying everything together so that I could print wirelessly from both laptops to the wireless printer. It was quite a detailed ordeal, but I survived! I was beginning to think I would need to invest in a router, but I don't have DSL or cable - I only use an Alltel wireless card to connect to the Internet. When all else fails, read the instructions!

 

[kimsland]

Thanks for the update :grinthumb

I would like to know which specific step was missing. Because you did make a network already

 

[notageek]

You know, I don't think I could even explain what all I did. I guess some of my success was trial and error. I just know that yesterday I must NOT have "connected" the network to the printer correctly because the printer wouldn't work without a cable. Both computers "found" the wireless printer, but neither one was connected to the network. Today I created a completely new network and during the software installation, there was a section that helped me connect to that specific network. I have read so much in the online help about setting up and connecting a network that my brain is "fried". I uninstalled and reinstalled the printer SEVERAL times until I finally got it right. Thanks for your suggestion about uninstalling the drivers and firewall. That must have helped, also.