[SOLVED] Can I connect my MacBook Pro to a device and printer at the same time?

[rayzane]

I live in a dorm and I connect to the wifi in the dorm. I then have to open a browser to login. I cannot connect my wireless printer to this wireless network because there is no way to log the printer in on this network. I have an ad-hoc connection to my printer. I don't want to have to switch networks every single time I print something, so is there a way where I can be connected to a device and to a network at the same time wirelessly?

 

[COLGeek]

Not unless you add a second wireless adapter and run on a separate network segment than your campus/dorm network. You should also be able to connect to your printer via a USB connection.

Good luck!

 

[pawn3d]

Well... You can create a print server with an old Mac by turning on Printer Sharing and connecting to the wireless network. Bottom line: Mac is slacking on this one.

 

[pawn3d]

Wait, I just had an idea...

I wonder if you could create a second account and enable fast user switching and keep them both logged on, 1 on the wireless network and the other on the printer network you created?

Hmmm. probably not. I don't think Airport cards allow multiple connections.

 

[hairystuff]

Theres one more thing you could try, switch DHCP OFF on the printer then set the IP address, mask and gatway setting to the same as on your network but with a unique 3 digits at the end of the IP address for the printer then get your macbook to connect to the printers IP address and configure it.

 

[COLGeek]

Theres one more thing you could try, switch DHCP OFF on the printer then set the IP address, mask and gatway setting to the same as on your network but with a unique 3 digits at the end of the IP address for the printer then get your macbook to connect to the printers IP address and configure it.

This will lead to an eventual IP conflict and the net admins might not like you very much in the end. You will also then have a printer configured for all to use. Probably not a good idea.

 

[hairystuff]

This will lead to an eventual IP conflict and the net admins might not like you very much in the end. You will also then have a printer configured for all to use. Probably not a good idea.

The other option would be to inform IT admin with your printers IP address and hopefuly they might reserve an IP for the printer (some campuses in the UK have reserved IP addresses for exactly that reason, not sure about anywhere else), as for the printer share you could always setup a password to stop unautherised access.

Another option would be to get a wireless bridge and a wireless router and join them together via the WAN port on the wireless router and have the macbook and wireless printer connect to that, it would add an extra firewall layer to your own personal WLAN network aswell, the only problem would be that you would have to buy additional hardware for the setup and also have to port forward for additional services like: voip, skype, msn, ichat, gtalk, gaming, torrents, pretty much anything that you have to listen out for, then again uPnP could probably handle most of it.