Can I Upgrade LaserJet 1200 Printer to Operate Wirelessly?

[Rick_OD]

Is there an economical way to upgrade my LaserJet 1200 series printer (Model C7044A) to operate wirelessly?   It does not have a USB port, just a parallel port for connection to a desktop PC. 

[banhien]

Hi,

Why do you have to do this ? The cost to upgrade in this case is much higher than going out to buy a new printer.

Regards.

[Rick_OD]

Thank you for the reply.  My ten year old LaserJet still performs like a champ.  If there is a device that can act as a  wireless print server, connected to the parallel port of the printer, for less than $100 I would be interested in that kind of set-up. I have a newer Canon all-in-one printer already on our home network, but that printer is remote to my home office, where the LaserJet is located. 

R O'D

[Drew314]

Yes you can. If you are looking at the front of the laserjet 1200, take the right side panel off. It's not difficult, but be careful not to break the little hidden tabs that are holding it in place. The laserjet 1200 user manual (available on this site) shows how to do this if you are unfamiliar. Look at the available connections inside. Double check to see if a usb connection is available (and you wont know until you look behind the panel). Some have both (see page 16 of the manual). If a usb connection is avaialble, then all you need is a usb cord, and one of several possible wireless routers that have an available usb port for incoming connections. A used one does just fine. Now you want this router to talk to your existing one. (I am assuming you have an existing wireless router of course). The easiest way to do this is to get a Linksys router (with usb port) and install DD-WRT (software) onto the router. You're basically turning this router into a wireless repeater. You can find them on certain sites with DDWRT already installed if you are not brave. This is the cheap way. If you have the big bucks, buy a wireless repeater with a USB port. That's about it. I just did this for my laserjet 1200. Like you, I used a laserjet 1000 for 15 years and loved it - finally died, and I just got a used 1200. HP now makes a device that does the same job as well ( I have read).

If for some reason you do not have a usb port located beside the parallel port, you can find bidirectional cables with a parallel connection on one end and usb on the other and then do the same as above. 

You can ALWAYS do something - the question is figuring out how to do it. Good luck.

[davidzuts]

Another solution:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-1-Port-Parallel-Print-Server-Trendnet-TEW-P1PG-A-/221985199645?hash...