Take you always wanted to place an inkjet printer in a fundamental location in an office where you couldn’t, or didn’t desire to, connect it to a network or a calculator configured as a impress server? If so, you lot’ve probably wished that somebody would develop an easy wireless printing solution that would allow y’all to place a printer wherever you want it. Well, wish no more, because the folks at
AmbiCom
recently unveiled Wireless Printer Kit, a new product designed to basically brand a printer deed as a stand-solitary device.


Printer Proviso

Before I begin extolling the features and benefits of the AmbiCom Wireless Printer Kit, I need to point out that at the time of this writing, the number of printers officially supported by this kit is limited to specific USB inkjet printers from Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Epson, and Canon. A consummate listing of those printers supported by the Wireless Printer Kit can be found in the official
Printer Compatibility Chart, which is regularly updated and available as a PDF file on the AmbiCom site.


How it works

The AmbiCom Wireless Printer Kit, which works with Windows 98/Me/2000/XP systems as well as with Mac Os Ten v10.2, basically consists of the two components shown in
Figure A. These components work together to create a virtual USB cablevision via the Bluetooth brusque-range radio technology.

Figure A
The AmbiCom Wireless Printer Kit basically consists of two modest adapters.

Each of these components incorporates the Bluetooth OneChip technology adult by
Microtune, a silicon and subsystems company that develops and manufactures radio frequency (RF) solutions for the broadband communications, transportation electronics, and brusk-range wireless connectivity markets.

The Bluetooth OneChip technology integrates a 2.4-GHz radio, baseband processor, flash plan retentiveness, and USB interface into a small circuit board embedded into the adapter, as shown in
Effigy B. (This cut-away prototype comes from the Microtune site.) This complete integration means that the Wireless Printer Kit doesn’t require whatsoever additional software or actress configuration. In other words, it’south truly a plug-and-play solution. Allow’s take a closer expect.

Effigy B
The Bluetooth OneChip technology combines everything you need in a peachy niggling packet.

The slightly larger component (roughly three inches long) in the bottom of the image is the Master Adapter and is designed to connect to the printer via a Type B USB interface. The component in the tiptop of the image is the Slave Adapter, which connects to a computer via a Type A USB interface.

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Of course, this wireless printer solution requires a power source. As y’all can see, the Principal Adapter has a jack that connects to a modest 5-volt Air-conditioning power adapter, which also comes with the kit. Also included in the kit are two USB extension cables, which allow you to connect the adapters in tight quarters. The xx-inch Type A USB extension cable is for connecting the Slave Adapter to a reckoner; the five-inch Type B USB extension cable is for connecting the Master Adapter to a printer.

In one case connected, the Wireless Printer Kit instantly allows y’all to print at speeds comparable to a straight USB cable connexion on the majority of the supported printers. When talking about speed, information technology’s important to betoken out that while the USB one.1 standard tin transfer data at 12 Mbps, the Wireless Printer Kit tops out at 340 Kbps. If we were talking hard drive data transfer, this would exist a big drawback; merely when it comes to printing, the difference is ephemeral.

On the other hand, a few of the supported printers may actually impress a chip slower when connected via the Wireless Printer Kit than if they were connected via a cablevision. (For a listing of the makes and models that fall into this category, meet the Printer Compatibility Chart.)

As for the distance range of the Bluetooth-based Wireless Printer Kit, AmbiCom’s and Microtune’s specifications list a range of at least 100 feet in most environments. In very open environments, that range can reach as far equally 200 feet.

When experimenting with the Wireless Printer Kit in a cubicle-based office setting, I was able to verify a sixty-foot range. In some other setting, with several walls betwixt computer and printer, I was able to verify a 45- to l-foot range and was even able to maintain a connection between the first and 2d floor within that range. Of form, at the longer distances, printing speed was a scrap slower than when closer with a fairly good direct line of site.

When evaluating the range of this wireless applied science, go on in mind that all sorts of things in a typical function environment can cause interference or limit the range. As such, your mileage may vary.

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Expansion

You tin buy boosted Slave Adapters to create a dedicated, wireless print network. AmbiCom’southward specifications country that each Principal Adapter can maintain communications with up to 30 private Slave Adapters.

Security problems

In this day and age, talking near wireless networking devices brings upwardly the topic of data security. Fortunately, the Wireless Printer Kit provides a very secure environs. Each adapter has an embedded code that is used for authentication. These codes are paired such that print data volition go only to the Master Adapter that is paired with the Slave Adapter. Furthermore, since the Bluetooth software used in the adapters is proprietary, intercepting a impress task would be a very difficult operation.

As far every bit computer security goes, over again there’s not really any danger of gaining access to the data stored on the hard disk via the Wireless Printer Kit’s Bluetooth connection. Over again, the Bluetooth software used in the adapters is proprietary and not compatible with other Bluetooth devices. And, since the Bluetooth software is embedded in the adapter rather than existence installed on the computer, in that location’southward no mode to direct admission the computer. Furthermore, the Bluetooth software used in the adapters must work through a impress driver, which farther narrows the hacking power.

Making the connection

Every bit I mentioned, the Wireless Printer Kit is truly a plug-and-play solution. To brainstorm, you’ll demand to deal with the printer commuter. The manual covers several scenarios when it comes to configuring the printer driver, and the one you choose will depend upon your situation.

For example, if the printer is currently connected to the figurer via an existing USB cable, and the printer driver is already installed, then you’re all set to go. If it’southward a new installation, you demand to install the printer software on the reckoner and ignore whatsoever error messages pertaining to the printer not being detected.

Once the printer driver is installed, you connect the Slave Adapter to the computer’s USB port, as shown in
Figure C. The green LED light on the Slave Adapter will glow for about two seconds to indicate a good connection, and then it will shut off.

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Figure C
One time the printer driver is installed, yous connect the Slave Adapter to the computer’s USB port.

As you can see, in this case, I’m connecting the Slave Adapter to a laptop arrangement. However, connecting the device to a desktop system is an identical procedure. At present, you might be wondering about connecting the Slave Adapter to a USB hub rather than directly to the computer. While doing so volition, in fact, work, AmbiCom recommends that you connect the Slave Adapter direct to your computer in order to ensure a reliable connection.

At this point, you’re ready to connect the Main Adapter. Showtime, yous’ll connect the AC Power connector to the Principal Adapter and and so plug the AC Power adapter into a power outlet. The green LED light on the Master Adapter will blink in one case to betoken that it’south receiving a ability connection, and and so it will shut off.

Now, you lot’ll connect the Main Adapter to the printer. As you can see in
Figure D, I needed to utilise the included USB extension cable, since the USB port on this printer was deeply recessed and non broad enough for both the Master Adapter and the power plug to fit.

Effigy D
Using the USB extension cable makes it easy to connect the Master Adapter to the printer.

As presently as the Slave and Master Adapters recognize each other, the LED light on both adapters will glow green and remain on. Yous’ll also see an alert bulletin pop up on the computer that indicates recognition of a new USB device.

One time the connectedness is established, you tin can brainstorm press documents equally you normally would. While the certificate is being wirelessly transferred, the LEDs on both the Slave and Primary Adapters volition blink continuously to betoken data transmission.

Getting the kit

The AmbiCom Wireless Printer Kit carries a suggested retail cost of $69.99; the individual Slave Adapter, $39.99. AmbiCom initially fabricated the AmbiCom Wireless Printer Kit available through
CompUSA. Yet, it’south now available at several other
online computer stores
as well.