I got a shiny new MacBook Pro. All was well until I tried to use it with my HP OfficeJet 6310 printer. My printer is connected to my router via ethernet cable. All of my other PCs have had no problem printing given that they are connected to the router also. However, when I tried to print wirelessly from the MacBook, I was greeted with “Can’t connect to printer.” What’s strange is that I was able to ping the printer, and reach the printer’s configuration page in my web browser.
If I connect to the network via a wired connection, I can find the printer instantly. After hours of google searching this subject, all I have been able to turn up is 100′s of other posts outlining the wireless connectivity issues associated with Snow Leopard (rather discouraging).

So did I just give up? NO!! A thought hit me. My printer, like many other modern printers has bluetooth capability. In OSX, I opted to add a new bluetooth device via the bluetooth prefs pane in System Preferences. My printer was found right away and easily added.

BTW: You may want to open your printers web configuration page and change the passcode for the bluetooth so that your neighbor can’t spam your printer.

Next, I openend the Printers pref pane in System Preferences and removed all the non-working network based entries for my printer which I had previously added.

Then, I clicked the “+” sign to add a new printer and after a few seconds my printer showed up in the list and it said “Bluetooth” out to the right under Connection Type. I clicked on it, causing it to be installed, then I right-clicked on it and set it as the default printer. Now I’m printing wirelessly again!! Yippeee!

Note: Bluetooth range isn’t nearly as good as 802.11a/b/g so this may be a deal-breaker for some but since I just need to go from my office to my living-room it works fine for me. If anyone has info on how to make this work another way please post and let me know!