Use an Apple AirPort Express as Printer Server

Question

Level 1

9 points

Use an Apple AirPort Express as Printer Server

It is possible to use the AirPort Express as a printer Server!
And actually quite easy!

Full article at http://www.permulka.nl/index.php/extranet/blog/81

The AirPort Express (AE) uses the same setup as the Time Capsule (TC), using Airport Utility. The connection between the two wireless stations is maintained through WDS. I set up the TC as WDS Main and the AE as WDS Remote. The Internet Connection is set to use the AirPort (WDS), DHCP is used to get an IP address and the Connection Sharing option is already set to Off (Bridge mode).

Time Capsule & AirPort Express, Mac OS X (10.6.2), Mac's @ home, Windoze @ customer

Posted on Jan 25, 2010 12:40 PM

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Answer 1

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Jan 25, 2010 1:37 PM in response to Guzzisto

Sure it is. It is no surprise since that is one of the big features of the AirPort Express (AX).

Just remember that the USB port on any of Apple's base stations only support printing. If you connect an all-in-one device to the USB port you will not be able to scan nor FAX.

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Answer 2

jfasino

Level 1

0 points

Jan 28, 2010 10:04 AM in response to Duane

Can I use the scanner feature of an all in one printer (HP 6310) if I connect to Airport Extreme via ethernet instead of USB? Can i use the scanner and printer for both MAC apps and windows apps running in Parallels?

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Answer 3

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Jan 28, 2010 10:24 AM in response to jfasino

Can I use the scanner feature of an all in one printer (HP 6310) if I connect to Airport Extreme via ethernet instead of USB?

Yes, if that all in one printer supports scanning over an Ethernet network.

Can i use the scanner and printer for both MAC apps and windows apps running in Parallels?

I don't know how it would work for Parallels but it will work just fine for Mac applications.

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Answer 4

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Jan 28, 2010 10:40 AM in response to jfasino

jfasino wrote:
Can i use the scanner and printer for both MAC apps and windows apps running in Parallels?

with MacDrive installed in Parallels, you could scan on the Mac and move it over to the dark side ... 😉

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Answer 5

SabineER

Level 1

0 points

Jan 28, 2010 1:06 PM in response to Duane

I purchased AirPort Express a few days ago, and struggle to get the wireless printing feature to work on my iMac running OS 15.x First, I can connect the HP OfficeJet 1452xi directly to the iMac, and it will print successfully. When I connect the printer to the USB port of AirPort Express, I can add the printer via System Preferences, Printers & Faxes, use + sign to add. The wirelessly added printer will not show the same icon / right pictogram as direct connect, not sure if this is of any importance. The driver should be searched for and added automatically, but will come up empty. When I try to manually search for it in the list, it's not available. Note: I installed the additional printer drivers from OS 15 install CD, and also went to the HP website and downloaded the drivers package including the HP OfficeJet 4200 series. The install program completes without error. When I delete the printer and add it again, hoping it would now find the print driver, it still doesn't. Did reboot and took out the AirPort Express from outlet and back in again. Still the same. Any ideas what can be done to get Leopard to recognize the appropriate HP driver that should be available on the hard disk? Thanks much for any help.

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Answer 6

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Jan 28, 2010 1:12 PM in response to Jolly Giant

Parallels allows you to seamlessly share files between the Mac and Windows.

I thought the question was whether you would be able to scan directly from Windows running in Parallels.

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Answer 7

Guzzisto Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 29, 2010 1:26 AM in response to Duane

Duane wrote:
Sure it is. It is no surprise since that is one of the big features of the AirPort Express (AX).

Just remember that the USB port on any of Apple's base stations only support printing. If you connect an all-in-one device to the USB port you will not be able to scan nor FAX.

My article describes the Ethernet connection, the USB connection is the one marketed by Apple but not usefull over a network 😉
The lack of knowledge of the Apple engineers surprised me most, but common sense instead of knowledge is already enough for this AE use.

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Answer 8

Guzzisto Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 29, 2010 1:32 AM in response to SabineER

Does your printer have a network connection as well? That makes it easier to connect to and assign a specific driver to.

At least that's how I set up my Brother MFC, network connected with own IP address, installed the brother software and after that set up the printer on the macbook.

SabineER wrote:
Did reboot ...

Does your iMac run Windoze ... 😉

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Answer 9

Duane

Level 10

124,267 points

Jan 29, 2010 5:55 AM in response to Guzzisto

I see. But technically the AX is not acting as a printer server for a printer connected to the AX Ethernet port. The AX is merely providing a wireless connection to that printer so that it appears on the network. The printer service must come from the printer itself when it is connected via Ethernet.

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Answer 10

Guzzisto Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 29, 2010 6:02 AM in response to Duane

True Duane, the setup I use makes it work like a printer (& scanner :-o) server but it's the Brother MFC that does the serving job, the AX is "just" a network component. But it works fine with the MB(P)'s in the office and even with a "dark side" VMware client.

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Answer 11

SabineER

Level 1

0 points

Jan 29, 2010 9:53 AM in response to Guzzisto

I'm using the AirPort Express as router, and the printer is connected to my wireless network thru AirPort Express. I can see it from iMac. When I try to connect a specific driver, the correct driver doesn't show up on the list though it should if Leopard had recognized the driver updates that I installed. Question is: why doesn't it recognize them?

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