Posted by janCA on 2/9/11 2:44pm
Msg #372044

Help, trying to install wireless printer.

Using my Droid II 3G Hotspot to install Hp 1102 wireless printer. I also use the hotspot for my laptop.

I'm almost through the install when I get the message "The printer was unable to communicate with any wireless router or access point using the provided SSID." I've done this about 5-6 times now.

Shouldn't I be able to use the 3G Hotspot for both the laptop AND the printer?

Is there something I need to do on the Droid? My frustration is at it's peak.

Thanks for any insight you can give.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/9/11 3:35pm
Msg #372054

Must be something in the printer setup. The Droid manual doesn't give much on setting up a hot spot other than setting the SSID, security level, password, and a channel to use. If you're able to see it and connect to it with your laptop, it's working - so that points to the printer rather than the Droid.

This may be obvious, but double-check the SSID (could be case-sensitive) and the security level being used on the printer side. If you've got mismatched security types, they're not going to be able to connect and you could get that type of warning. Other than that, I can't offer any help - I've never tried using it with a wireless printer.

Reply by janCA on 2/9/11 3:43pm
Msg #372056

Thanks, Mike, I'll check the security on both.

Reply by Robert Williams on 2/9/11 5:16pm
Msg #372067

The hotspot is a "Wireless access point" so it may not talk to the printer. Printers usually require a Router which is more functional than the Hotspot or access point. The router is what allows two devices on a network to work together. All the access point unit does is allow all of your devices to access the web...

Reply by janCA on 2/9/11 5:26pm
Msg #372071

Thanks, Robert. I'm off to Office Depot, the guy who sold the printer to me said there should be no problem with tethering the printer to the Droid. Hmmm!

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/9/11 5:39pm
Msg #372072

You may be right about that, Robert, but the error message she reported is "The printer was unable to communicate with any wireless router or access point using the provided SSID". That suggests that the printer SHOULD be able to connect to an access point (although error messages are often either confusing or just plain wrong).

Unfortunately, Motorola's user manual is less than helpful about how this function is supposed to work, so it may be that it just won't work with printers.

The phone warns you when starting this function that using the access point will absolutely suck the life out of the battery (battery life being an issue with the Droid phones to begin with), and suggests that you plug the phone into a charger when using it that way. That severely limits the usefulness as far as I'm concerned, but it would definitely be a nice feature to have in a pinch. If you can get it to work....

Reply by Robert Williams on 2/9/11 5:59pm
Msg #372075

THe access point for my home network is what connects one of my printers (a wireless AIO) to the router. It's wireless, it connects to the access point but it still takes the router to assign it a network ID so it will work. To work without a router would require something more than a hotspot and for all I know the droid may have one. But when I asked the sales person about that capability on the Sprint EVO Android phone he said it wouldn't work unless there was a router available to assign an address to the printer..

It'd be nice if it has the capability because I'd love to be able to leave my laptop home and just carry the phone and a wireless aio...

Reply by janCA on 2/9/11 7:32pm
Msg #372087

Right now it's connected.

I took everything into Verizon, printer, laptop and Droid; their customer service is outstanding there. They said it could be done. Ryan started going through the setup and kept running into kinks. He was extremely tired so he asked if I would bring everything back tomorrow as it was already past quitting time for him. No problem, I said, I'll work on it tonight. So I came back home, hooked everything back up and I'll be darned, it connected. I'm stunned.

Reply by OR on 2/9/11 9:20pm
Msg #372098

Re: Right now it's connected.

Yes that sounds like great custermer service. I hope works. I would love to be able to do that with my new HP wireless. I think I will call them and ask tomorrow. Ya never know. I am sure they can tell me even if I am not standing next to my printer. Please post if you get it going. TIA.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/10/11 8:11pm
Msg #372299

Re: Right now it's connected.

Glad you got it worked out. What was the problem?