If you use mobile hotspot for internet and want to print wireless, read this.

[Scott & Heather]

Technomadia, might have already figured this out, but here's the scoop on my geek work today.

Problem: We use a Verizon enabled iPad as our sole internet source. This means, our laptop, desktop, and even our cell phones connect to the iPad hotspot feature for internet access (we connect our iPhones because I usually place the iPad near the front of the coach where it gets better Verizon signal than our iPhones in the bedroom area). The issue is two-fold: 1. Our Wii or any internet TV device we want to use won't connect to the iPad as an internet source. It's a long explanation, but the iPad doesn't broadcast internet like a normal router would. 2. Our wireless Samsung printer won't connect to the iPad either so we can't print wirelessly to it.

Solution: Normally, we would go out, purchase a router from Walmart, connect it to the internet, connect all the phones, laptop, and desktop computers to it, and connect the wireless printer to it and have wireless printing, (the Wii would connect to it too). Problem is, you can't connect an iPad to a router. So we are stuck. Today, I downloaded and installed a free program called "Virtual Router" on my wireless PC. Once configured, it works flawlessly!! I can now print wireless from my iPhones, iPad, desktop computer, and laptop! My Wii connects perfect too! If you live in a bus fulltime like us, this could be a great help to you if you're using a Verizon hotspot for internet!  Just thought I'd share:
http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/

[gumpy]

I think you can setup an ad hoc network on your computer and connect the wireless printer to that, but I've not actually done it.
I've used ad-hoc between two computers, but not with a printer, but usually, printers will allow you to manually configure their
network connections.

If it works, you should be able to share the ad-hoc and/or printer on the computer, and connect to it from other devices, too. 

[pabusnut]

All the I-devi$$es $$eem to always$$ involve more co$$t$$ than they initially appear.  Apple $eems to be the $nob$$ of electronic$.  They will introduce a new product (at great expen$$e to you) that fixe$$ a deficiency they deliberately de$$igned into the device. I have avoided them for year$$ but my I-pod is the best thing for mobile mu$ic.  Did I mention all their $$tuff $$eem$$ expen$$ive to me!

$teve Toomey

[Lin]

Yes, fortunately there are third party solutions for many of the unnecessary limitations that Apple builds into its products.

[Scott & Heather]

Craig,

You can do this, but this doesn't allow said devices to simultaneously connect to my iPad hotspot for internet...so I needed a solution to do both. Virtual router is perfect!

[mung]

Yes, I have used that in the past and it does work well.  The funny thing is most of the ability to do the routing is built into every PC, but you have to know how to set it up, Virtual Router makes it easy. 

[Scott & Heather]

I tried to do this on my win7 pc but it just wouldn't work. Not sure what I did wrong, but connecting to an Ipad hotspot is a little weird. It won't connect to my printer nor our wii, so I had to go about things differently. This worked

[mung]

It isn't easy.  You have to setup Internet sharing and put in static routes, etc.  Virtual Router does that all for you.  I used to use it for part of a proxy server that would allow me to connect to it remotely when I was in places that had sites blocked. 

[gumpy]

I think you have to bridge the connections in the PC to get everything connected, but I have not ever had to do that so not sure of the details.
If the 3rd party products does what you need, it sounds like a winner.

[mung]

Yes, bridging is a big part of it.

[Scott & Heather]

Bridging was my first attempt. No dice...I know it can be done...because some have done it, but as Craig said, the virtual router third party software made it super easy. The only thing is that when i restart the host computer, it doesn't auto start virtual router, so I set up an auto start batch file and tested it and it works perfect. I guess I'm so excited about this, cause I spent a bunch of money on a nice wireless samsung laser printer like a year ago, and have never been able to print wirelessly without dropping the internet connection, then connecting the wifi printer directly, printing, then reconnecting to the internet wifi. It was drama and often didn't work, was super unreliable and the printer was just gathering dust. I didn't want to spend the money on a standalone router to connect everything if I couldn't connect my ipad to it to give all the devices internet, so I was just stuck in no man's land. After spending 30 minutes downloading and configuring Virtual Router, everything just worked. It's been running now for 24 hours without issues. I'm impressed. Anyway, fun stuff. If you have a hotspot jetpack this probably isn't an issue, but the iPad with the latest ios behaves weird when trying to use it as a router...doesn't quite do the task for some reason.

[gumpy]

... I'm so excited about this, cause I spent a bunch of money on a nice wireless samsung laser printer like a year ago, and have never been able to print wirelessly without dropping the internet connection, then connecting the wifi printer directly, printing, then reconnecting to the internet wifi. It was drama and often didn't work, was super unreliable and the printer was just gathering dust. I didn't want to spend the money on a standalone router to connect everything if I couldn't connect my ipad to it to give all the devices internet, so I was just stuck in no man's land. ...

It's always those pesky 1st world problems that get you!   :-)

[Scott & Heather]

Lol. true


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Fred Mc]

Maybe I'm missing something but my ipad connects to my router at home and the wifi hotspots. And I can print directly from my ipad or iphone to my HP printer.

[digesterman]

Fred which app are you using to do that, the HP one?


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