HOWTO: Configure a Linksys WPS54G wireless print server on Mac OSX

While trying to set up our home theater Mac Mini to print to our shared printer, I accidentally deleted the printer on my MacBook (this is what happens if you run too many VNC sessions on machines that share a look-and-feel!). Putting aside for one minute the stupidity of having done this, I found myself completely unable to set the printer up again. Linksys assumes the entire world uses Windows and offers little help to those 15% of us that have found a more enlightened path.

I'd had many struggles with setting up the print server the first time around and simply could not remember the secret combination that enabled me to print wirelessly from all our Macs. But I've figured it out now and thought it'd be a useful "howto" for others who have been similarly frustrated.

There are a bunch of people claiming that this sequence works (from the Linksys support community forums). This assumes that you have set up the print server with its wireless settings and a static IP address.

1. On Mac OS, open System Preferences and select ‘Print & Fax’. Click on the "+" icon (lower left) to add a printer. Click on the IP Printer icon (top). Select "Line Printer Daemon – LPD".
2. In the Address field, enter the IP address of the Print Server.
3. In the Queue field, enter L1.
4. In the Name field, enter L1.
5. Select the printer manufacturer from the pull down menu.
6. Select the printer model from the scroll box.
7. Click "Add".
8. A window should appear showing your newly added printer "L1". Click L1 once to select it. Then click "Printer Setup" (middle right). The Printer Setup window will open. Click on the "Installable Options" pull- down menu and select "Name & Location". The Name and Location window will open. Do the following:
9. Change Printer Name to the IP address of Print Server
10. Change Location to IP_[IP of Print Server]P1 i.e. IP_192.168.1.xxxP1
11. Click on Apply Changes.

And lots of people have said it works for them. This is all correct except for step 11. Instead of reading "IP_[ipaddressofprintserver]P1", it should be "IP_[nameofprintserver]P1" (without the square brackets).

The MacOSXHints site has a good run-down on how to find the name of the print server but they too make a mistake on step 11, suggesting that you have to type "IP_[ip of <nameofprintserver>]P1", if you read their instructions literally.

So the definitive, I-swear-to-God-this-works sequence is as follows. Again, this assumes that you have set up the print server with its wireless settings and a static IP address.

1. On Mac OS, open System Preferences and select ‘Print & Fax’. Click on the "+" icon (lower left) to add a printer. Click on the IP Printer icon (top). Select "Line Printer Daemon – LPD" and do the following:
2. In the Address field, enter the IP address of the Print Server.
3. In the Queue field, enter L1.
4. In the Name field, enter L1.
5. Select the printer manufacturer from the pull down menu.
6. Select the printer model from the scroll box.
7. Click "Add".
8. A window should appear showing your newly added printer "L1". Click L1 once to select it. Then click "Printer Setup" (middle right). The Printer Setup window will open. Click on the "Installable Options" pull- down menu and select "Name & Location". The Name and Location window will open. Do the following:
9. Change Printer Name to the IP address of Print Server
10. Change Location to IP_[NameOfPrintServer]P1, i.e. IP_LK32B953P1
11. Click on Apply Changes.

You can change the printer name to anything you want at this point, so you can easily recognize it. I hope this works for you, too!