Cloud Ready Black/White Laser Printer

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
Holstein13, does that setup add significantly to your data useage through your hotspot, the printing that way, I mean.

I rarely print through the internet, but when I do, the extra data is equivalent to a .pdf file. Just figure it's as if you upload a .pdf file instead of printing. Uploaded from your phone and downloaded to the printer. It might also not be as efficient as a .pdf so figure it will be double the size of a .pdf for the same document.

The beauty of my system is that I use the least cost internet wherever I go. If the camp wifi is decent, I hook up the surf to it. If not, I try and catch a signal through my bullet attached to the ethernet. If all else fails, it's my unlimited verizon account. If that fails, I'll use the 40 GB AT&T card.

Holstein13, does that setup add significantly to your data useage through your hotspot, the printing that way, I mean.

I bought an HP ENVY 4500 a few months ago from COSTCO for $45. It can print from the Internet. Needed to set up its own email address, works great.

5th Wheel,

I have done exactly what you are looking to do and it's very easy.

My Samsung printer has google cloud print built into it. I configured it and can print to it from anywhere including standing right next to it. That's the first step.

I also configured my printer to work as a regular print driver from my laptops. Therefore, if I'm on the same network as the printer, it simply prints to the printer.

Don't be discouraged. Just get a cloud print capable printer and you'll be able to attach it to your cellular MIFI access point and print to it from the computers or devices also connected to the MIFI access point. Even if your computer devices aren't connected to the MIFI, you'll be able to print through the internet.

The key is that once you've connected your printer to the access point, leave it configured that way and have the access point on when you want to print. It is a PITA to reconfigure the printer for every new router, camp wifi, or access point you'd like to use for internet access.

If you really want to simplify your setup, spend an extra $100 and get a Pepwave Surf on the go. It will act as your access point and you can connect the surf to the internet via camp wifi, cellular modem or ethernet. That way, you only have to setup the surf at each location but your devices remain connected to the surf at all times.

jhilley wrote:

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
OK, so I must have a router, along with my cloud ready printer, to print from my chromebook? What is the easiest router to set up for that?

You don't need a router if your hotspot supports multiple concurrent devices.

Pretty sure a hotspot is ALSO a router.

OP, OK back to my old PC. If Google ever gets this printing thing so it can be explained in a 5 word sentence, maybe I will try it again. Thanks everybody, sorry to bother.

As I said before in a previous post my S5 used as a Verizon hot spot connects easily to my new Canon Cloud printer. And I can print directly to the printer from any one of my Android devices I have in my home. Without going through the internet. Except obviously the dedicated phone used as the hot spot, my Galaxy S5 cannot run in Wifi and Cell (internet) mode at the same time hence the inability to do both things at once.

Remember once you turn the phone into a hot spot it will automatically attach to the Verizon cell net even though the printer data doesn't need to flow through the internet(except when in Cloud Print mode). You cannot turn the phone into a wifi only router.

Ron W.

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
My understanding is that a chromebook needs internet communication to print; either because the printer can access the internet, or by plugging any printer into a computer that does access the internet.

When I search the internet for cloud ready printers, most of them are kind of shy about how they say they are "cloud ready". My suspicion is many of them don't really have internet access capability built into the printer itself. Do you know of a cheap, basic laser printer that really does have that capability builtin?

OK, so I don't own a "Chromebook" and I thought it really sounded stupid to say the least that a modern day "computer" of sorts has no real direct or easy way to print something..

Per link below.. It can be done without the need for "cloud" printing services, just is a bit tricky and a spare PC will need to be setup ON YOUR OWN WIFI NETWORK to act as a local "cloud server"..

Chromebook printing without cloud services

"Yes, you can. You can easily print to a "cloud printer". If you do not have a cloud printer (I did not have one, I have a wireless printer connected to my home network), the setup is a bit trickier, but it is still possible. In the case of not having a cloud printer, you need to configure another computer in your network to make your wireless (or wired) printer and non-chromebook computer combination look like a "cloud printer" to your home network. Then you can print from your chromebook to your printer as long as your non-chromebook computer that you configured is powered on and not hibernating. It sounds complicated and is a bit of a learning experience, however I got mine setup in less than a half hour. You can Google search for "google cloud print" for more details."

Seems to me since you are going to be using your own "hot spot" and hence all printing data will count against your data allotment it would be in your best interest to setup your own local cloud printing services..

Something that should be dead on dirt simple to do is yet again trashed in favor of depending on some remote far away "service"..

Stupid things like this are one of many reasons I am willing to spend a few bucks more and by a PC (laptop or desktop)..

If I was in your shoes, I would scrap the Chromebook and buy a laptop or netbook.. You would get more functionality without having to rely on quirky cloud based services..

Its a verizon hotspot, and Im pretty sure it does support multiple concurrent devices.

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
OK, so I must have a router, along with my cloud ready printer, to print from my chromebook? What is the easiest router to set up for that?

You don't need a router if your hotspot supports multiple concurrent devices.