If you already have a printer in your home office for quite some time, chances are you have one of those printers that use USB as the main interface to the computer. That being the case, you are most likely using a USB cable in order to connect to another computer. Most often, your desk becomes cluttered with machines that need to be connected to your main computer. There are also cables that need to be connected. If you are tired of looking at this cluttered scenario, there is one solution. Buy a wireless printer adapter.
A wireless printer adapter is basically a device that converts your USB printer, into a wireless printer. They are very tiny devices and weigh more than a pound. Their shapes and sizes are similar to Bluetooth dongles and flash disks. There are two types of wireless printer adapters depending on the wireless interface they use. The most common types are the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters. Both basically offer the same advantages of creating a wire-free environment. The main difference is that the Wi-Fi adapter allows the printer to be connected to a network. In a way, it acts as a print server.
Using a wireless printer adapter allows you to get rid of the cluttered cables in your work area. It also allows you to have a more liberated selection in regards to where you want to put your printer. The common scenario is that your workspace is crowded with your computer and printer setup. If you use a wireless adapter, you can place the printer anywhere else in the office as long as the signal can reach your computer.
Wireless Adapters from HP
In the case of a Wi-Fi adapter, you will need to have your own wireless network set up. This also allows multiple users that are connected to the network to access the printer. It is also very convenient for other users since most mobile gadgets are equipped with Wi-Fi. You can get the HP 802.11 b/g Wireless Print Adapter at around $53 on Amazon.
This wireless print adapter is very easy to install and will allow you to print wirelessly using the HP 470 mobile printer series from your wireless PC, notebook, PDA or other wireless device to your printer. Very compact and portable in its small size (0.75 x 0.35 x 2.56 in) and weight (0.22 lbs.), it doesn’t require networking as it is a plug and play device.
If you do not have a wireless network set up from the start, you can opt to buy Bluetooth adapters. One of the top Bluetooth adapters is the HP BT1300 Bluetooth Wireless Printer Adapter. It is able to support laser, inkjet, photo as well as all-in-one printers. In fact, it is compatible with any USB or parallel capable printer. Its dimensions are similar to the HP 802.11 b/g Wireless Print Adapter at 2.52 x 3.27 x .98 in and slightly lighter at 0.16 lbs. All these advantages can be had for around $56 only at Amazon.
Another example would be the HP bt500, which uses Bluetooth technology as well that allows you to print without the cables. Generally, Bluetooth provides short-range wireless communications that replace the physical cable connections that traditionally link electronic devices. Available at Amazon for only $27.
There is not even any need to worry about interface because most gadgets today have Bluetooth. If your computer does not have one, you can even buy Bluetooth dongles for $2 or less.
Other Alternatives
On the market also is the IOGEAR USB2.0 Print Server, the Print adapter that allows you to wirelessly send the print job to a USB printer. It also allows multiple computers connect to a single printer within the network. It complies with USB 2.0 specifications and provides users with an auto-sensing Ethernet port that works with either 10Base-T or 100Base-T networks.
This unit also supports multiple protocols and multiple operating systems, and it integrates Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) in this print server to allow users to print from any computer over a LAN/WAN or the Internet by specifying the device’s URL.
Available at Amazon for only $37 new.
Cisco Linksys on the other hand offers the WPS54G Wireless-G 802.11g Print Server, available at $70. It connects your printer into your local network 10/100 wired Ethernet or 54 Mbps Wireless-G.
Another one from Cisco Linksys is the Wireless-G Print Server with Multifunction Printer Support WPSM54G-RM which can be obtained at $105 on Amazon.
Overall, if you want an office that is free from wires, which by the way can be very hazardous, buy a wireless printer adapter for your printer. It will not cost you a lot but it will definitely improve your work area. That improvement may somehow lead to more productivity.
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