I need to connect old PPC G5 running OSX 10.5.8 to Epson Stylus 1400 printer, wiring is very difficult, so I need to find out what are my wireless options. Printer has only USB input. The printing includes graphics and text from Adobe as well as a special graphics application, which is the reason for me to stay on PPC. G5 box is not presently connected to the network, but that can be changed.
I checked on Bluetooth options and saw Epson dongle but its compatibility is limited to RX line of printers.
Please let me know what are the ways to print on that 1400 printer wirelessly.
Note to moderators - please move my thread to a better place if this one is not appropriate.
Thanks in advance.
So you're really trying to extend a USB connection wirelessly over what distance? How many metres??
There are USB to Wi-fi adapters available provided the range is usable.
Distance between the G5 box and the printer is around 8 meters on a straight line
8 meters of what? Dead air? Cinderblock?
8 meters of air, almost line of sight
We've been talking about a wireless connection up to now but you say "G5 box is not presently connected to the network, but that can be changed".
Is the building Cat5 wired? If so, without connecting the G5 to the network you could still extend the USB connection over Cat5.
Search the web for "USB extender". There are products like the one I've attached, see pdf. (and sorry for the advertisement guys - provided as an example only).
With a product like this you can extend your USB cable over a Cat5 cable by tapping into a RJ45 wall point near your G5, and onward connecting the cable from the wiring closet, to another wall point near the printer.
I don't know of any USB over wifi extenders but that doesn't mean that they don't exist.
Yes, the USB over Ethernet won't apply here because of the wiring difficulty.
There is no wiring in the room. When I said that networking can be done I thought that I would use Ethernet-over-power adapter to connect G5 to the LAN and then would use Wi-Fi-based print server for the printer.
It would be simpler IF there is a Bluetooth-based print server - then I'd connect G5 directly to the print server over BT, as this G5 box has working BT dongle.