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Chromebook - 5ghz wifi or ethernet printer options

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  • 02-07-2015 12:28pm
    #1
    donnacha
    Registered Users Posts: 2,253 ✭✭✭


    Looking for some help here. Recently got the inlaws a chromebook. They have UPC for TV and broadband and a TC 7200U router. In terms of connectivity the chromebook would only connect via 5 ghz. They now want a printer and I have done a fair bit of research and most printers either connect by USB or wifi but not via 5ghz. Does anyone know of a printer that would connect via 5ghz or some ethernet printer options that I could connect directly to the modem? Is there something else in the setup that I am missing. Note the USB port on the modem and the dual band functionality of the modem is all disabled by UPC.


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    #2
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Don't know any off hand. But erm... what's your budget before people start giving you options?


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    #3
    donnacha
    Registered Users Posts: 2,253 ✭✭✭donnacha


    €70 -100 - but could be stretched to €150 max.


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    #4
    niallb
    Registered Users Posts: 2,734 ✭✭✭niallb


    Pick a printer in your budget that supports google cloud print.
    Preferably connect it to the router with ethernet.
    The chromebook connects to google print and so does the printer, they don't connect to each other.
    I've had success with Canon MX printers at around that price.

    If you get a cloud printer, spend a few quid extra on one that has an LCD control panel.
    There are ones for about €80 that use a windows application for configuration,
    and that won't work on Chromebook. This can leave you looking up alternative methods online.

    On my Canon MX350, I had to find the menu item to connect to network and set it up.
    Ethernet would have worked too, but I have it in a different room.
    Once it's online, you scroll down to set up Cloud Printing.
    This printed out a page with a URL on it that's valid for 20 minutes or so.

    Log in to the chromebook and go to that URL, and the printer will be added as a destination for your google account.
    You can then share the printer with everybody else who needs to use it.
    All those people can now print to the printer no matter where they are,
    which can be handy if you need to print something out for the inlaws.

    A lot of devices are multi function, and scanning is not likely to work from the chromebook unless it has a web scan option like the HP Officejet 8500.
    That allows you go to the printer's webpage and download a scan from the device.
    Other devices allow you scan to a USB key which is at least a way of getting it done.

    There's a list of supported printers here, but I don't know how up to date it is.
    Printer names change all the time, though there are very few real differences.
    The most important thing is to confirm they say "supports cloudprint", and preferably have an ethernet port.


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    #5
    donnacha
    Registered Users Posts: 2,253 ✭✭✭donnacha


    Thanks Niallb. Thats a good tip on the LCD control panel.

    I'd got through most of those printers and none that i could find have an ethernet connection - all seem to now connect either via wifi or USB. As USB is ruled out I'm then thinking that the printer needs to be able connect with the 5ghz wifi band? From what I have read printers will only connect via 2.4ghz - at least I haven't found one that states it will connect to 5ghz.


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