Find out the differences between different types of networks, assess which suits your printing needs, and learn about HP products to get your printer connected.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networking can free you from printer cables at home, making computer time feel less like work.
Networking describes the process of connecting computers to one another and to additional peripherals such as external drives for data storage, servers, and, of course, printers. Networking enables these components to communicate, as well as share files and information.
There are three primary types of networks: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth. Each has its advantages and uses for which it’s best-suited.
Wi-Fi is a great option for several computers—especially portable notebooks—to share a single printer.
Wi-Fi connections have a range of up to 300 feet, while Bluetooth can extend up to 30 feet.
Wi-Fi networking allows computers within about 300 feet access to a network—without wires. That means that laptop computers running on batteries can surf the Internet from the couch or the porch!
Flexible: No longer does the length of the printer cord determine the layout of your home office. Printers can even be kept out-of-sight, clearing up valuable desk and office real estate.
Speedy: For most home users, Wi-Fi, at 54 Mbps, is amply fast, allowing the streaming of movies, music, and other file downloads quickly.
Economical: Multiple people in a home or office can share a single printer, saving on energy and hardware costs.
Bluetooth delivers the instant satisfaction of getting prints directly from your phone.
Look for this logo to help you identify Bluetooth products.
Bluetooth connections set up what is called a P-LAN (Personal Local Area Network), which is useful for sending smaller files shorter distances—up to 30 feet. Bluetooth connections shine when used for photo printing from a cell phone or PDA.
Convenient: Enjoy the immediacy of printing photos directly from a phone or PDA without the need to get a computer involved.
Simple: Most newer cell phones, smart phones, and PDA’s have built-in Bluetooth capabilities. For those HP printers that don’t have the capability built-in, a simple, plug-in adapter creates an instant connection.
Printers with built-in Ethernet will have a port in the back that looks like a phone jack—but slightly bigger.
The Ethernet port accommodates this “RJ45” connector, whose 8-pins make it wider than a phone cord’s 4-6-pin connector.
Most offices take advantage of this quick and inexpensive networking technology, which requires only a cable (CAT5e is the cable type, and it needs to have an RJ45 connector at the end), a port, and in some cases, a hub (or switch) to connect.
Fast: Ethernet networking remains the quickest way to transmit large files. Most current Ethernet hardware uses the 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet standard (which is nearly twice as fast as Wi-Fi’s maximum 55 Mbps).
Inexpensive: All other factors being equal, built-in Ethernet is a less expensive feature than built-in wireless capability on routers, computers and printers, even while allowing for faster connections.
This office-ready black and white LaserJet networks multiple users at lightning speed with its built-in Gigabit Ethernet printer server. Starting at $399.99
Make sure you know how to Download and install a printer driver. This simple maintenance step allows your printer and computer to “speak the same language,” assuring that your connections run smoothly.
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