Deskjet 3070A cant connect to ad hoc network

[johnnydupont]

Hello

I am setting up my new HP Deskjet 3070A. This printer has wireless capability. I would like to use it wirelessly with my Macbook  Pro laptop (OSX 10.6.8).

I do not have a wifi network nor wifi router at home. Therefore I set up an ad-hoc (one to one) wifi network on my laptop, named MyPrinterNetwork. This is the kind of network used to connect one computer to another on wifi. MyPrinterNetwork is then visible from other wifi capable devices (other computers, smartphone, ...), and the devices can connect to this network (and share files or internet connection over wifi). This thread http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-All-in-One-Install-Setup/Connect-Deskjet-3070A-wirelessly-to-my... suggests that this printer is able to connect to ad hoc networks.

I then launch the HP utility to configure the printer. But when the screen comes up with the list of wifi networks available, MyPrinterNetwork is not in the list. The list only contains other wifi networks available through access points (the values in the wifi mode column are all infrastructure). If i try to enter the network name manually, the software says that the printer can not see or connect to this network.

Executive summary :

-Could someone confirm that the Deskjet 3070A is able to connect to ad-hoc wifi networks?

-If so, why is my ad-hoc network not displayed in the list in the configuration utility?

Thanks and regards

Johnny

[ShlomiL · Accepted solution]

Hello Johnny.

The Deskjet 3070A support Infrastructure network only, it does not support ad hoc connection.

As you may find by the User Manual:

Traditional wireless connection (requires router)

To connect the HP All-in-One to an integrated wireless WLAN 802.11 network, you will need the following:

- A wireless 802.11b/g/n network that includes a wireless router or access point.
NOTE: 802.11n will only support 2.4Ghz

 A desktop computer or laptop with either wireless networking support, or a network interface card (NIC). The computer must be connected to the wireless network that you intend to install the HP All-in-One on. 

Page 33:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02887357.pdf

As an alternative, you may try the Mac OS X internet sharing feature which allow the mac to act as a router in Infrastructure mode:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1540.html

One limitation you should be aware, the Intenet sharing security supports WEP in Shared authentication mode only, which is not supported by the printer as you may find below:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02871178

Therefore you will need to keep the sharing with no security password in order to successfully connect the printer to the network.

Hope it helps,

Shlomi

[johnnydupont]

Ok, for those that might be interested, I found out how to do this.

Explanations are here :

https://h30495.www3.hp.com/p/_wireless/faq.html#06

The trick is : do not bother with hp configuration utility, once the drivers are installed.

First, reset your network settings to factory default on the printer.

Then, on the laptop, connect to a network named hp-XXXX (broadcasted by the printer)

The Mac should then detect the wireless printer, you can print normally.

To scan : on the Mac go to "printers" in system preferences, chose "scan".

Choosing "scanning" from the printer will not work. Scans are "pulled" from the printer by the laptop, and prints are "pushed" to the printer by the laptop.

Edit : got the reply above as I was writing my own reply. I confirm that this solution works. Security is indeed a problem as anyone can connect to your printer. For example if you forget a document in the scanner, anybody can connect to the printer network and retrieve it  wirelessly.

[ShlomiL]

Hello Johnny,

Regarding your suggestion, this method is possible indeed, however the Mac is connected to the Auto Wireless SSID, which will cause the connection to be terminated automatically within 1 hour.

Additionally, to make sure you aware of any risk

Once the network is open, it may allow guests to access the shared network, which may expose shared folder on your Mac If you enabled File Sharing, and also to use your internet connection which being shared.

Regards,

Shlomi

[cyberoid]

Johnny's answer is functionally superior and should be featured as the Solution.

Johnny's solution is functionally superior.  It is much easier for the Mac user to access the printer's wireless ID than for the user to switch his or her Mac back and forth from wireless client to ad hoc router to wireless client again, which is arguably less secure.

Johnny wrote, 

     The trick is: do not bother with HP's configuration utility, once the drivers are installed.

     First, reset your network settings to factory default on the printer.

     Then, on the laptop, connect to a network named hp-XXXX (broadcasted by the printer)

     The Mac should then detect the wireless printer.  You can print normally.

Taking Johnny's advice, you don't have a series of security settings to negotiate. But there are some precautions you must take.

To make the connection secure, you must set permissions in System Preferences -> Security -> Firewall -> Printer Sharing that limit printer sharing to Mac users you wish to enable, including yourself.  (You should always set the various sharing permissions -- Screen, Web, Internet Sharing, etc.-- for maximum security behind the Firewall.)  

(The Mac doesn't permit anyone to rummage around behind the Firewall without permissions, unless you leave them unset.  Your permissions limit other's access.  That's the point of a Firewall, to permit selective access to services.)

I also recommend changing the permissions in System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> Airport to require Administrator permission in the five checkboxes, thereby securing your Airport settings .  ("Administrator" is the name you assign to your Mac account.  You sign in with it when you log on.  Here you use it to access the networks securely.  Very easy to remember and use.)

A one-hour connection allows you to print about 800 pages, which is probably adequate for most users.   Most users don't spend an hour doing scans unless they're plagiarizing a book. 

Reconnecting after the connection terminates merely requires seeking the HP printer ID in the Airport drop-down menu and connecting again.  If you assign the 3070A printer network a high priority in the System Preferences -> Network -> Advanced -> Airport window, it's a snap.

Remember to close the locks after you are done setting permissions.   You only have to change the settings once each time you create a new ad hoc Mac network with a new printer.  If you use the same printer and Mac each time, you can just leave the settings as they are for the next time you need to create an ad hoc network.   When you're home and ready to settle down where you have a router, it's a good idea to restore the printer's secure settings based on those in your router.  Your Mac ad hoc settings shouldn't affect conventional networking, but you will have to reset your printer's onboard address, etc.

PS I doubt anyone can print on your Deskjet given the security lockdown I describe above, but if they did, their pages would print out right in front of you, Sherlock.  How embarrassing for them.

[cyberoid]

(Duplicate.)