wireless printer adapter, anyone know anything about them?

[DebiTheScot]

I'm thinking about getting my parents something like this for Christmas.
They both do work on laptops and then have to take it up to desktop to print stuff off.

Is this what I need to allow them to print straight from laptop to upstairs printer? And will any adapter work with any brand of printer?

or do I need something like this?

Let's have a stab at answering this...

1/ No idea what the first link is... Can't find the matching product on the HP website so can't comment whether it will do what you want.

2/ Second product converts a USB printer into a Wireless Network Printer. This probably does what you want it to. All PCs on the home network will have to connect to a Network printer, including the desktop machine. You will need to install the "drivers" on each PC/Laptop. It is not clear whether this device is restricted to HP Printers.

3/ This is more expensive but definitely works with any USB Printer.

Hope that helps...

ZebraDad - DH of ZM!

On further reading #2 is HP Only.

Thanks ZebraDad. Think I'll do a bit more probing to find out if they really need it before spending that much if the 3rd option is all there is.

I don't know about an adapter, but I have my printer networked. It is a Brother all-in-one and it plugs into my wireless router. Any computer in the house can send printing to it.

Is their router in a place where they would be happy to locate the printer?

th router is in the same place. So does that mean they just need to plug the printer into the router then? Does that work with any printer?
Maybe it's just something to tell them they can do rather than give them for Christmas (it was never a very exciting present anyway!)

My printer says that it is network ready. It plugs into the router using a Cat 5 cable (a standard network cable). The router is wireless so communicates with all the computers in the house. It can also be plugged in directly to a computer using a USB cable. The software has to be loaded on to each individual computer.

This printer was under £100, btw, and has a document handler, direct photo printing and fax, as well as the usual colour printing.