(It's not critical now that I've got a router with two built-in wireless networks, but going your route will turn my Base Station into a dedicated print server, leaving me unable to use it for Internet,
I understood you were installing the printer using a
SPARE Internet Express not an Airport Base Station, Airport Express that you are using to create your network.
What I am proposing requires a
dedicated Airport Express or other print server to work. If you are not attempting to use a dedicated AE then lets drop the whole matter. If my initial understanding was correct then...
You were correct, but my explanation was typically obscure.
I"ve been using my AirPort Express for Internet, but my router's got built-in 2.4 and 5 GHz networks, so I moved my Internet to the 5GHz network and turned my AE into a dedicated spare to use for this project.
The going was smoother after that, except in step 1, AirPort Utility asked me to choose a network (to join) from its drop-down, and the printer wasn't on the list, nor was I able to find a way to get it there.
The printer should
NOT be on the list of networks to join. You want the Airport Express to join the same network your Mac is connected to. That should be on the list unless it is a "hidden" network. If that is the case your will have to type in the network name.
After following your instructions I got to
this point, but I still couldn't print.
This may be the kicker, though... The 5 GHz FiOS network I joined was
neither in the AirPort Utility drop-down
nor hidden, but I typed it in anyhow. I just noticed, though, that
NONE of the 5 GHz FiOS networks that appear in my menu bar WiFi drop-down appear in the AU drop-down: only the 2.4 GHz networks appear.
It looks like I can only do this via the 2.4 GHz FiOS network (which will, of course, limit my connectivity options).
Back to square one.
Update: Catch 22'd!!!
I went out for a walk, planning to start over with the 2.4 GHz network when I got back, but the fresh air cleared my head, and I realized that changing my AE status from "Create..." to "Join..." would disable it as respects AirPlay, which I run 24/7, and since I print
extremely infrequently, AirPlay won the day.
At some point I"ll try the 2.4 GHz network, and if I'm able to print, I'll maybe buy a 2nd generation "n" AirPort Express if Apple comes up with some refurbs...and I"m able to find an outlet into which to plug it. (I HATE the new AE's which lie flat unless you spring for a wall-mounting kit! Hmmm... Anybody got an opinion on
Vertically mount the new AirPort Express with Apple AC wall plug? Other than the plug's obstructing the WAN port which I don't need, I don't see any down side.)
