Q: Adding a Mac / iPad printing facility to an existing network using Airport.

What I have been unable to obtain confirmation of is whether the iPad will be able to "see" the Airport Express over the network via one of the existing WAPs, or whether it needs to connect wirelessly directly to the Airport Express in order to push a print job to the USB port.  I am not prepared to replace all the WAPs in teh house just so that the iPad can print.

Unfortunately, it sounds like your printer is not AirPrint compatible, so it will not work "as is" connected to the AirPort Express, or anywhere else on the network for that matter if you want to print from the iPad.

What might work,,,,if you have a Mac on the network....is to install a special App like Printopia which might allow the iPad to print.

There is a free trial, so you will know whether Printopia will work or not before you buy.

Printopia - Ecamm Network

As Bob Timmons wrote AirPrint compatibility is only peripherally related to one's network, and an Express isn't going to change anything about your printer's lack of AirPrint capability.

What might be worth considering in your case is a dedicated AirPrint print server such as this one from Lantronix:

http://www.lantronix.com/it-management/xprintserver/xprintserver.html

Its price exceeds that of many AirPrint - compatible printers though, and is better suited for those who want to keep a large number of non-AirPrint printers in service.

An alternative to Printopia is the donation-supported handyPrint. Those are the only two that I'm aware of.

My understanding from a bit of reading and talking to some people in Apple stores here was that one could plug any USB printer into the USB port of the Airport and the Sirport would act as a printserver.

The Manual states: "Using AirPort Express to Share a USB Printer: When you connect a USB printer to your AirPort Express, all computers on the wireless network can print to it."

Bob Timmons wrote:

 

Unfortunately, it sounds like your printer is not AirPrint compatible, so it will not work "as is" connected to the AirPort Express, or anywhere else on the network for that matter if you want to print from the iPad.

All of the above is 100% correct... so I'm afraid I don't understand what it is you are misunderstanding. If you provide the printer's model number, that might help clear up any confusion.

To print directly from an iPad you need an AirPrint - enabled printer. Connecting a USB printer to an Express's USB port does not enable it to become one.

Unless your printer is an AirPrint printer, to print from an iPad will require one of the workarounds both he and I suggested.

The Manual states: "Using AirPort Express to Share a USB Printer: When you connect a USB printer to your AirPort Express, all computers on the wireless network can print to it."

An iOS device like an iPhone or iPad is not a computer. It uses a different type of operating system.

If the folks at the Apple Store told you that you could plug your printer into the USB port on an AirPort and that would allow an iPhone or iPad to print, then they were just wrong.

In fact.....even IF you did have an AirPrint compatible printer (you don't, but for the sake of example, let's assume that you do), you still would not be able to print directly from an iPhone or Pad if the printer was plugged into the USB port.

An AirPrint printer....as the name Air implies....is wireless. It cannot connect using USB if you want to print from an iPhone or iPad.....unless.....you add some sort of third party application like we have already suggested.

I suggested Printopia because I have used it and it works well. John suggested Handy Print, which I am sure that he has used and found to work fine as well. There are no doubt other Apps that will do the same thing.

If you find a solution, it would be helpful to other users if you could post back and provide the make and model number of your laser printer and which "workaround" that you found to work.

Good luck.