在过去，大多数拥有电脑的人整个房子里只有一台电脑。如果他们还有一台打印机，它就连接到那台计算机上。如果您想打印某些东西，您必须将这些文件带到本地 PC。
现在，每个家庭都装满了可以打印的联网设备。这意味着每个人都在需要时访问打印机变得不切实际和不方便。
如今，大多数新打印机都提供WiFi连接，但如果您的有线打印机没有WiFi怎么办？您不必外出购买全新的打印机。因为（取决于您拥有的硬件）有一种方法可以使几乎所有有线打印机无线化。
1.获取支持型号的(Supported Models)无线适配器(Wireless Adapter)
这是最明显的，但可能是最昂贵的选择。许多打印机制造商销售一种无线适配器或模块，可以将您当前的有线打印机升级为可以使用WiFi或蓝牙(Bluetooth)的打印机。
因此，您应该做的第一件事是检查您的打印机是否有官方（或兼容的第三方）无线适配器。您不一定要立即购买它，而是在评估桌面上的其他选项时权衡其要价。
此外，请记住，主要是旧型号的打印机仍然具有此选项，因此如果您最近购买了适用于现代Windows的官方适配器，您的打印机很可能不存在该适配器。
2.通过USB将它连接到路由器
检查您的互联网路由器的背面。它有USB端口吗？许多路由器现在可以充当USB 主机(USB host)。在大多数情况下，这意味着您可以连接外部USB驱动器，路由器会将其作为网络附加存储提供给网络上的设备。此类路由器通常还具有作为无线打印服务器的能力。
这意味着您可以将打印机插入该USB端口，但您很可能必须打开路由器的设置页面并将USB端口从大容量存储切换到打印服务器职责。有关如何执行此操作的信息，请参阅您的特定路由器。如果您想要NAS大容量存储功能，这种方法的一个缺点可能是您的路由器不能同时执行这两种功能。
3.通过以太网(Ethernet)将它连接到路由器(Router)
即使您的打印机没有WiFi，它也可能有以太网(Ethernet)端口。如果是这种情况，您可以通过路由器背面的任何开放以太网(Ethernet)端口使用电缆连接它。如果您使用电力线以太网扩展器(powerline Ethernet extender)，您几乎可以在家中的任何地方将打印机连接到路由器。
请记住，您很可能需要将打印机配置为通过以太网(Ethernet)正常工作。这可能是您可以在打印机本身上使用其屏幕和按钮执行的操作。或者，您可能必须使用 PC 上的软件和USB连接进行配置，或者通过网络登录打印机。
4. 通过 PC 共享您的打印机
大多数操作系统（包括Windows）都允许您与网络上的其他设备共享连接到计算机的打印机。在这种情况下，连接了打印机的 PC 充当打印服务器，除了它正在做的任何其他事情。
假设您的打印机已连接到计算机并且正在工作，那么共享它并不难：
- 打开开始(Start )>设置( Settings )>设备( Devices )>打印机和扫描仪( Printers & scanners)。
- 选择有问题的打印机并选择Manage。
- 打开打印机属性(Printer Properties)，然后切换到共享(Sharing)选项卡。
- 现在，选择共享这台打印机(Share this printer)。
如果您愿意，此时您还可以更改打印机的共享名称。这是其他人在寻找要使用的网络打印机时看到的名称。
这可能是使有线打印机无线化的最快和最便宜的方法，但它确实有很大的缺点。首先(First)，您的计算机必须始终保持打开状态，否则打印机将无法使用。如果您关心这方面的事情，那不是最节能的解决方案。
对于低端(WIth)计算机，处理打印请求也会影响该计算机的性能，这可能不是您希望在其他事情中发生的事情。
5. 使用以太网到 WiFi 适配器
如果您的打印机带有以太网(Ethernet)端口并且不想使用电力线适配器方法，您可以使用以太网(Ethernet)到WiFi适配器。唯一需要注意的是，您必须先将打印机连接到 PC，以确保在使用WiFi适配器之前所有网络设置都正确。
6. 使用专用的打印服务器设备(Print Server Device)
如果上述解决方案都不起作用或只是不适合您，那么有一个相对实惠且可靠的解决方案。您可以简单地购买专用的打印服务器盒。这是一个小盒子，一侧带有USB连接，另一侧带有以太网(Ethernet)端口。内部(Inside)是一台小型专用计算机，其唯一任务是接受网络打印作业，然后将它们交给打印机。
虽然这确实意味着您的打印机必须通过以太网(Ethernet)连接到路由器，但它会立即允许所有网络设备共享该打印机。专用打印服务器耗电量很少，并且始终可用。
也有无线专用打印服务器设备，但它们的成本往往比仅以太网的品种贵一点。所以你必须决定额外的几美元是否值得。
上墨！
这几乎涵盖了我们可以想到的所有使有线打印机无线化的方法，这样您就可以从几乎任何现代小工具上打印出来。如果我们错过了一个，或者您想出了一个新的创意解决方案，请务必在下面的评论中与大家分享。
How to Make Any Wired Printer Wireless in 6 Different Ways
In the old days, most people who owned a computer had onlу one in the entire house. If they also had a printer, it was attached to that computer. If you wantеd to print ѕomething, yоu’d have to bring those fіlеs to that local PC.
Now, each household is filled with networked devices that all have the ability to print. That means it becomes impractical and inconvenient for everyone to access the printer when needed.
Most new printers these days offer a WiFi connection, but what if you have a wired printer without WiFi? You don’t have to go out and buy a whole new printer. Because (depending on what hardware you have) there’s a way to make virtually any wired printer wireless.
1. Get a Wireless Adapter for Supported Models
This is the most obvious, but possibly the most expensive option. Many printer manufacturers sell a wireless adapter or module that can upgrade your current wired printer to one that can use WiFi or perhaps Bluetooth.
So the first thing you should do is check whether there is an official (or compatible third-party) wireless adapter for your printer. You shouldn’t necessarily buy it right away, but weight up its asking price while you evaluate the other options on the table.
Also, keep in mind that it’s mainly older models of printers that still have this option, so there’s a good chance an official adapter that works with modern Windows probably doesn’t exist for your printer if you bought it recently.
2. Connect It to a Router via USB
Check the back of your internet router. Does it have a USB port? Many routers can now act as a USB host. In most cases that means you can connect an external USB drive and the router will offer it as network-attached storage to devices on the network. Such routers usually also have the ability to work as wireless print servers.
This means you can plug your printer into that USB port, but you most likely have to open up the router’s settings page and toggle the USB port from mass storage to print server duties. Refer to your specific router on how to do this. If you want NAS mass storage functionality, one downside of this method could be that your router can’t do both at the same time.
3. Connect It to a Router via Ethernet
Even though your printer doesn’t have WiFi, it may have an Ethernet port. If that’s the case, you can just connect it with a cable via any of the open Ethernet ports on the back of your router. If you make use of a powerline Ethernet extender, you can connect the printer to your router from virtually anywhere in your home.
Just bear in mind that you’ll most likely need to configure the printer to work properly over Ethernet. That might be something you can do on the printer itself using its screen and buttons. Alternatively, you might have to configure it using software on your PC and a USB connection, or perhaps by logging into the printer over the network.
4. Share Your Printer Through a PC
Most operating systems, including Windows, let you share a printer connected to the computer with other devices on the network. In this situation, the PC that has the printer attached acts as a print server, in addition to whatever else it’s doing.
Assuming that your printer is connected to the computer and working, it’s not hard to share it:
- Open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Pick the printer in question and select Manage.
- Open Printer Properties, then switch to the Sharing tab.
- Now, select Share this printer.
If you like, you can also change the share name of the printer at this point. This is the name that everyone else sees when looking for a network printer to use.
This is probably the fastest and cheapest way to make a wired printer wireless, but it does have significant drawbacks. First of all, your computer has to stay on all the time, otherwise the printer won’t be available.That’s not the most energy-efficient solution, if you care about that aspect of things.
WIth lower-end computers, handling print requests can also affect the performance of that computer, which might not be what you want to happen in the middle of something else.
5. Use an Ethernet to WiFi Adapter
If you have a printer with an Ethernet port and don’t want to use the powerline adapter method, you can make use of an Ethernet to WiFi adapter. The only catch here is that you will have to connect the printer to a PC first in order to make sure that all the network settings are correct before using the WiFi adapter.
6. Use a Dedicated Print Server Device
If none of the solutions above work or just don’t suit you, there’s a relatively affordable and reliable solution. You can simply buy a dedicated print server box. This is a little box with a USB connection on one side and an Ethernet port on the other. Inside is a small dedicated computer that has the sole task of accepting network print jobs and then handing them to the printer.
While this does mean your printer has to be connected to the router via Ethernet, it instantly allows all network devices to share that printer. The dedicated print server uses very little electricity and is always available.
There are also wireless dedicated print server devices as well, but they tend to cost a little more than the Ethernet-only variety. So you’ll have to decide if the extra few dollars are worth it.
Get Inked!
That covers just about every way we can think of to make a wired printer wireless so that you can print to it from just about any modern gadget. If we’ve missed one or you’ve come up with a new creative solution, be sure to share it with everyone in the comments below.
