How can I easily iPad-print in my truck?...

[John L]

I want to be able to print paper invoices in my truck. An inverter to power the necessary hardware isnt a problem. My question is...

Will an Airprint enabled printer connected via USB to an Airport Express (without an internet connection) satisfy the iPads airprint/wifi connection requirements and work for me? I really need a solution to this.

 

[twerppoet]

An AirPrint capable printer and AirPort express should be able to do what you want. However you will not need to plug the printer into the AirPort's USB port. You just need them both on the same network, and the AirPrint printer will join via it's Wi-Fi feature.

I is not necessary to have internet to create a Wi-Fi network and have both your iPad and printer join it. Once they have, it should work. (I keep using should because I've never done it, of course).

But only an AirPrint printer will do this without extra software.

iOS: AirPrint 101

 

[Sally Marshall]

We Print quotes and invoices from our truck from the iPad with a mobile router and PrintCentral Pro with an HP H470 portable printer and works really well.

 

[twerppoet]

We Print quotes and invoices from our truck from the iPad with a mobile router and PrintCentral Pro with an HP H470 portable printer and works really well.

The extra software part. Thank you for mentioning it. I suppose I could have gone into more detail.

 

[John L]

We Print quotes and invoices from our truck from the iPad with a mobile router and PrintCentral Pro with an HP H470 portable printer and works really well.

Excellent! Would you have details on the mobile router?

I assume also an Airport Express would get that part done too (but only with an AirPrint printer)?

Thanks to all.

 

[twerppoet]

The Airport Express is a fairly normal router (other than compact size). It should work with any wi-fi printer. Also, AirPrint printers should work with any router.

The iPad on the other hand has been known to be picky about what routers it works with, so confirming that the router works well with it should be the priority.

 

[Sally Marshall]

it sounds familiar - I think it could be one of those - he's still on tour (it was hard enough for me to remember the printer name!)

We Print quotes and invoices from our truck from the iPad with a mobile router and PrintCentral Pro with an HP H470 portable printer and works really well.

Excellent! Would you have details on the mobile router?

I assume also an Airport Express would get that part done too (but only with an AirPrint printer)?

Thanks to all.

 

[cjjwhiteford]

I've been researching this for months and just got it to work today. I bought the ENVY HP printer. Today I went to best buy and for $31 bought a Netgear Simple Sharing router. I also got a power inverter with 2 outlet plugs. I walked to my truck plugged everything in and both the ipad and the printer immediately read the Netgear router once it was turned on. I didn't have to do anything. I don't have to be hooked up to the internet. It was a big burden to finally get this figured out and working. (By the way, this site helped me with the tips after reading so many unanswered questions for weeks out there on the internet. When I walked into Best Buy, the first guy to help me didn't believe me that I could do this without being on the internet, so it was frustrating to have them not even know. But it works great!)

 

[John L]

CJ,

That's good news. Did you buy the printer at best buy too? Is that an airprint printer? How much was your printer? Are you printing right from the iPad o.s. Like airprinters do or are you using a printing app? I am looking to utilize the default o.s. Print function as much as possible.

 

[John L]

Sorry, I noticed the specs on the envy printer say "Built-in wireless 802.11b/g/n". I dont understand why we need to use the seperate wireless router

 

[twerppoet]

Wireless is not some free for all communications. It requires a central unit to hand out addresses and route the information to each device. Just like your cell phone, the printer's radio is useless without a central switch to communicate with.

You can sometimes set up a kind of limited router with a computer, called an ad-hoc network, but neither the iPad nor the printer have the ability to do this. So, you have to have a router.

 

[John L]

Thanks

 

[cjjwhiteford]

I bought the printer at Office Max. Their price was $250 but saw the same printer at Walmart for $199 and Office Max matched the price.

I just print right from ipad os and have used Pages and printed email. I'm not connected to the internet when out on the road. Didn't want to pay that fee... so we just connect to our home network when at home.

So I did not buy any print app.

I did just have an issue where it stopped printing even though it was all connected. I have a thread on that above and the problem was just solved. Keep in mind that if you have wi fi issues, going back to reseting your network settings under settings, general, reset may solve alot of things. It worked for the most recent issue. I just have that typed up on a cheatsheet for my non techy hubby to use while on the road estimating.

And - I agree - don't know why we need a router, but that's the solution.

Have fun!

 

[cjjwhiteford]

I agree about the ad-hoc. I had read some posts about that earlier and tried to do it. No luck.

 

[John L]

Cj, thanks again for the update. I just bought the same setup as you have but I am having fits of trouble getting iPad to find the printer. I was able to print to the hp with my iPhone4 using the printNshare app but not the OS print feature which is what I wish to use. Curious, did you have to update firmware on your new printer to get it to work?

I've read about others needing to update the printer firmware before seeing it all work properly. I guess that I will get the printer near a wifi I Internet signal and try to update it.