Wireless printing from Wireless Fivespot?

[bikeguychicago]

My mother-in-law recently purchased a Wireless Fivespot device as the primary means to get broadband for her new laptop. She does not have any other broadband or WiFi connection in-house other than this device. 

My wife would like to buy her a wireless printer to allow her to print from the laptop. I know that wireless printers require being part of a network in order to be able to print to them. However, my expertise lies in adding wireless devices to a network that consists of a cable modem/wireless router. I have no experience adding a wireless devices to a 3G broadband network.

That said, I have a few questions:

1. Is it possible to incorporate a wireless printer using the Fivespot device?

2. If so, what printer(s) have you successfully gotten working?

3. What steps are needed to add a printer to this type of network?

4. What are the caveats of doing so (i.e. does the Fivespot need to be turned on while printing)?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. We're trying to make this happen for Christmas so timing is of the essence. 

Thank you!

[bikeguychicago]

I forgot to mention that the laptop is running Windows 7 x64.

[rcschnoor]

I would check the documentation for the printer to see the methods of connecting via wifi. I believe that you will find that you can achieve this without setting up a network.

[LDAmant]

I just got off the phone with a tech from Verizon Wireless about printing from my laptop to my wireless printer via the Fivespot. And he informed me that they have nothing that supports that operation. If you're laptop is connected to the internet via the Fivespot, then your printer cannot share the Fivespot. You would have to find some way to save (copy and paste) what you want to print, then switch over to the printer to be able to print it. Boy, I hope that they find a way past that. Big bummer.

[rcschnoor]

Does your laptop have wifi? Most do nowadays. If your laptop has wifi and you have a wireless printer, why are you wanting to go through the Fivespot? Print directly from the laptop to the printer via a wifi connection. "That" is the point of having a wireless printer.

[bikeguychicago]

From my understanding wireless printers still need to be connected to a router in some fashion since they themselves are not access points. Is this not correct?

[Android10]

Yes, but depending on the type of printer, most wireless printers however would need to be connected to the router .  The printer must be able to accept wireless signals and the computer must be configured to send wireless information to the printer. When the printer recognizes a signal from the computer, it begins receiving the printing information.