Print Wirelessly with Airport Express

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airport-express Izzie is getting more and more mobile and that means she is getting into more and more stuff. Originally, we had our printer on the floor below a small computer desk. She was constantly trying to crawl (and drool) all over it. Now, I’ve got the printer safely stashed on an out-of-the-way shelf. Thanks to my Airport Express, any computer in the house can print from any location.

Researching a Print Server

I have a Canon MP600 inkjet printer (Canon site). It’s a nice little printer / scanner / copier. After looking several print servers and reading a lot of reviews, it became apparent that no print server is really designed to support a multifunction printer. They support printing but not scanning (or faxing if you have that feature).

I have several Apple brand products. They all work well, especially with each other, so I decided to continue with the Apple Airport Express (Apple site). All the reviews had positive things to say and Fred used an Airport to setup a wireless speaker system. Click here for his full Airport Express review. Here’s my experience.

Airport Express as a Print Server

Setup
Setup was an easy matter. I bumped into some software confusion but simply reset the Airport and updated my software. To reset your Airport, press and hold the small button by the audio port. The Airport came with a CD with the latest software version.

The other potential problem depends on what type of security your wireless router employs. The Airport Express is designed to work with WPA encryption- something that I already had setup.

When I installed the MP600 on the computer, it went flawlessly. The printer showed up in the list (as it should) as a bonjour connected device.

Printing
Printing is the same as through a USB connection. The only difference I can find- it takes just a few more seconds before the print job starts.

Where to Buy an Airport Express?

You can learn more about the Airport Express at Apple’s Airport Express Official Site. If the device is right for you, you can save 5% off the retail price ($99) by picking up the airport express at Amazon. Amazon ships the unit for free and you can avoid sales tax in some locations.

What do you think? Do you have an Airport Express for printing?

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