Would installing a new wireless printer slow down my internet?

Either I am going crazy or it is. It just seems that since I installed it this afternoon, my desktop is going so slooooowwww. I really notice it on my Outlook Express, sometimes it times out before it finally connects!

Technically speaking, I believe that if the printer is wireless AND your computer is wireless then yes, it could potentially slow down your internet connection. However, that is assuming that both your computer and the printer are using bandwidth at the exact same time. Not likely, because you rarely print. I think I can safely say here that if there was any slowdown it would be so small that it would be completely undetectable. You've got some other problem. But, thats not to say that you didn't create it when you hooked up the printer.

Isn't it wireless printer only uses the routers LAN connections? Unless it is capable of printing your emails or anything sent via the internet.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't wireless printer doesn't use bandwidth in printing. I mean you can print without an internet connection right?

I think I can safely say here that if there was any slowdown it would be so small that it would be completely undetectable.

You've got some other problem. But, thats not to say that you didn't create it when you hooked up the printer.

This is where I totally agree. I believe that even if you unhook your printer your connection will still be slow.

OT: thanks for your help about my external HD appleoddity

It could be the printer drivers. I know that HP had some major issues with one of their drivers a month or two ago, which in my case ended up slowing everything down and increasing boot time by a few minutes.

Printer software slowing the computer down is a great suggestion. That is a very real possibility. Mister17, to address your question, you are right, no WAN bandwidth is used. But, there is LAN bandwidth still, although obviously many times that of the WAN connection. If multiple wireless devices were communicating with the router at the same time they would have to "take turns." Thus slowing them all down.

Thanks for the clarification appleoddity

Wireless connections use a BUS topology (each one connected to an invisible cable (as it's wireless) so only 1 device can send data at a time or it will collide with other data and have to be sent by both devices again, which slows down your network. If it's feasible (not sure if thats spelt right but oh well…) why not connect your wireless printer to your computer directly (with a cable) then the printer (in theory) will use no wireless bandwidth and give you your speed back for your network. All you would need to do then is share the printer using windows so that the network would only slow down if someone else wanted to print. Please feel free to correct me if i am wrong… Regards, Duey

If the slowdown is caused by the wireless connection, which I doubt since you don't print all that often as Appleoddity said, change the channel you use on your laptop to connect to the wireless router. Also, turn off the printer. Problem still there? If so it's a driver problem. To verify, uninstall the printer. Does the problem go away? If yes, contact HP.

To address your statement Duey about a BUS topology, that really isn't accurate. A bus topology is one where several devices are strung together. If any part of the line breaks all devices fail. It especially cannot be applied to a 802.11a/b/g/n network. Wireless, the same as almost all wired networks today, is a star topology. Where all devices connect to a central point. If any one device or connection fails it does not effect the other devices. Regardless of the type of network, the problem with wireless is that all devices use the same frequency. So, therefore, it is like a single lane highway (well maybe a two lane highway if you think of transmit and receive) where only one car can travel down it at any one time. The point you are trying to get across is that if two cars try to travel down the one lane at the same time there is likely to be a crash. The cars will need to be towed, the owners will need to buy new cars, and then try traveling down the same one lane highway again without wrecking.

Thank you for all the help…for now I have decided to not go wireless, so I uninstalled and reinstalled using USB…seems to be better. Not sure if it is coincidence or not but I do appreciate the help!!

Hmmm, my idea to change thechannel the computer connects to the wireless router with wouldn't work as you would also have to change the wireless printer connection for it to continue working. There is no capability to have the router communicate with different devices on different channels (frequencies), at least not for low end routers that are used in the home.

To address your statement Duey about a BUS topology, that really isn't accurate.

A bus topology is one where several devices are strung together. If any part of the line breaks all devices fail. It especially cannot be applied to a 802.11a/b/g/n network.

i'm not meaing to cause any form of argument. the reason i said Bus network is that that is what i was taught at college. I do like your analogy (may be spelt wrong) of the network though.

Star network implies that all hosts connected get a full speed connection to the host and can send data at the same time with no (or very few) collisions. maybe a double ring would be more accurate (if it can't get one way, it'll go the other). Also, what happens when more than 1 device connects (this is what i was taught at college too) is that the total bandwidth is shared equally between all devices so even if the wireless printer is sending 0 bytes of data it will get 50% of the bandwidth to use (provided there is only 1 other device attached. it'd be 33.3% for 3, 25% for 4 etc.)

Also, when i said a bus network I had this sort of image so if one client went down, the network would still operate.

i've just googled "Bus Network" and i think that you may have got BUS and RING topologies confused.
check for yourself if you like…

Regards

Duey

I assure you Duey, I understand totally what you are saying and know all the differences between ring, bus, mesh, and star topologies.

A perfect example of a bus topology would be an old 10base-t network that had terminators on both ends. If there is any split in the "bus" it will bring the entire network down. The pictures you linked to in your post do show a bus topology, and this is exactly what a bus topology is and its faults.

A star topology makes no implications of bandwidth useage at all. It is simply that, a topology. Bandwidth useage is not dependent on topology at all. Bandwidth useage is determined by protocol and media.

Most notable differences between bandwidth useage on a STAR topology (the only one really even used anymore in LANs) is when you have a HUB or a SWITCH that the devices hook to. A switch will allow maximum throughput between individual devices no matter how many overall devices are communicating at the same time. A switch will also buffer packets and setup collision domains. A hub will not. A hub will repeat all communications on all ports, this causes massive collision problems with only a few computers on the network and thus one device communicating at the same time as another device is an issue.

I have no idea where you are hearing this bandwidth sharing phenomena from. Bandwidth is only taken from the total bandwidth as it is needed. If you hook up 5 computers to a 100Mbps switch they aren't all going to only get limited to 20Mbps. Thats ridiculous. If the printer is not communicating on the network it will consume absolutely no bandwidth whatsoever and will not effect any other communication on the network, period. Every other device will be free to use the maximum available bandwidth.

I'm pretty passionate about networking and know this stuff inside and out and have been doing it for years. I suggest you get your topologies, protocols, and bandwidths correct before taking your Network+ exam.

A perfect example of a bus topology would be an old 10base-t network that had terminators on both ends. If there is any split in the "bus" it will bring the entire network down.

I think you a referring now to a WIRED network. there can be no break in a WIRELESS network.

I have no idea where you are hearing this bandwidth sharing phenomena from. Bandwidth is only taken from the total bandwidth as it is needed. If you hook up 5 computers to a 100Mbps switch they aren't all going to only get limited to 20Mbps

Again, i am referring to a wireless network, not wired. in that way, they WOULD (or so i was taught) divide the bandwidth equally.

All the information i have on Networking i learned at college so that is where i am getting all my information from. Now, it could be that i was taught the wrong things, but that is where my information is from and (until i do further research) it is correct to me (as it is hard to say that something is wrong when being taught it for the very first time)

Also, all the IT Technicians at my college said the same thing about wireless network bandwidth being shared equally.

As i said earlier, i am not wishing to cause an argument over this matter but i can only pass information on that i was taught myself.

Regards

Duey