Use MX495 with both USB & Wireless

[ag4mx495]

Hello All,

I have a Canon MX495.  It is connected by a USB cable to our home PC, but I set it up as wireless so that we can print to it from our laptops.

Our home PC is not wireless capable, so it plugs into our router by cable.  We sometimes need to switch the home PC from the regular wireless router to a special router for my wife's business.  We can print from the PC when it is connected to our regular router, but not when it is connected to the other router.  So if she needs to print something while using her business router, we need to switch back to the home router.

Is there a way that I can have the PC print via the USB cable at all times, while our laptops print via wireless?  I see two Canon printers in my printer list - Canon MX490 series Printer WS and Canon MX490 series Printer.  I tried making the one that just says Printer (without WS) the default printer for the home PC, but it says Offline.  I can only select the one that says Printer WS.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Adam

[shadowsports · Accepted solution]

Greetings,

There's not a good solution for your scenario.  2 networks being your biggest challenge.

The printer is designed to use a single connection method USB or wireless, but not both.  Not to say your couldn't use both, but it creates an additional layer of management.  Trust me, you don't want to bother with.  Not worth the time. 

While the printer supports USB or wireless connecivity, you'll get the most compatibility connecting it to your network wirelessly.  Here's why.  With the printer on your network, any device  will be able to find and print to it.  Doesn't matter how the other device connects. 

Wife's PC has to connect to a separate "special router"?  This sounds overly complicated.  You can tell us why if you like.

It sounds like you need a second "special printer" so your wife can print from her "special network".  I'm not trying to be funny.  My recommendation is a solution to what appears to be an overly complicated situation.

Trying to make what you have now work will involve you spending a great deal of time, swapping cables and restarting things trying to get them to work.  The multiple printer instances are going to cause confusion and result in frustration, for you and your wife.  If she must be on a second network, a second printer (any brand) makes the most sense.

[ag4mx495]

Thanks for the reply.  She needs the other router occasionally, as she needs to connect to a secure network for one of her clients.

We'll work something out.

Thanks.

Adam