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WiFiLabel

Make a USB label printer wireless

A USB label printer does not join Wi-Fi by itself. You can share it from a computer that stays on, use a print server the maker actually lists for that model, or replace it with a printer that is already wireless. Bridge support for this job is in testing.

What works today
OptionWorks forHost computer stays onCostSource
Windows printer sharingOther Windows PCs on a private network. Not phones.YesFreeMicrosoft, share a printer as a network printer
Mac Printer SharingAnother Mac, or a UNIX computer. Apple's article does not mention iPhone or iPad.YesFreeApple, share your printer on Mac
PrintopiaShares a Mac's printers with an iPhone or iPad. Whether the Mac has to stay awake was not re-read.Not confirmedNot confirmedDecisive Tactics, Printopia
TP-Link TL-PS110UUSB printers on its compatibility list, over LPR. No Zebra, Rollo, or DYMO entries.NoNot listed hereTP-Link print-server compatibility list
Zebra print serverListed Zebra models only. No HTTP or IPP, so not the iPhone print menu.NoNot listedZebra connectivity options
Rollo Wireless AdapterRollo X1038 only. Rollo says it prints from Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Linux, iPhone, iPad, and Android.No$59.99Rollo Wireless Adapter
Raspberry Pi and CUPSA DIY queue. Zebra documents CUPS for Zebra printers.YesA Pi, plus setup timeZebra KB 000019838, CUPS
Rollo Wireless Printer X1040A replacement printer, not an add-on for the X1038.No$279.99Rollo Wireless Printer
PrintNodeAPI and raw ZPL or EPL from a computer. Phones are not clients.YesFree for 50 prints a month, then $9/moPrintNode pricing

Most of the printers on this page leave the factory with USB as the everyday port. A phone prints to a printer on the same Wi-Fi network that supports the iPhone's built-in printing. Zebra's own print servers do not support HTTP or IPP, so they do not fill that role.

Chromebook setup is not covered here.

Does this model have a network option?#

ModelWhat the maker lists
ZP450USB in the user guide we read. Optional internal Ethernet is on a spec sheet that was not fully checked.
LP2844External ZebraNet 10/100 print server for all 2844 models. Some units also have Ethernet.
GK420dSerial, parallel, and USB. A factory Ethernet option is only in a chart we saw as a snippet.
GX420dFactory Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth on some units. Each of those replaces the parallel port.
ZD220dUSB 2.0 only.
Rollo X1038USB. Rollo's wireless adapter is the add-on.
LabelWriter 4XLUSB. A DYMO print-server page did not load, so this guide does not say a server is still sold.

The ZP450, LP2844, GK420d, GX420d, ZD220, Rollo X1038, and LabelWriter 4XL pages have the specs.

Free sharing#

On Windows, use a private network, turn on network discovery and file and printer sharing, and add the printer from another PC as \\pc\share. Microsoft says the PC with the printer has to stay on and connected. That path is Windows only.

On a Mac, open System Settings, General, Sharing, and turn on Printer Sharing. Apple says you can share with another Mac or a UNIX computer.

The step-by-step is on share a label printer between computers. If the queue goes offline, use the Windows offline or Mac offline guide.

Print servers and adapters#

The TP-Link TL-PS110U guide says it does not support host-based printers such as CAPT, GDI, and PPA. Its compatibility list (652 lines in the PDF we read) has no Zebra, Rollo, or DYMO model.

Zebra's external 10/100 print server is listed for parallel 2824 models and all 2844 and 3842 models, plus the TLP2824 Plus and GC420 or GK888. G-series printers can leave the factory with Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi with an LCD, or Bluetooth. The ZD220 spec sheet is USB 2.0 only.

Rollo's adapter is $59.99 and is for the X1038. The X1040 is a different printer at $279.99. Refurbished X1040 units are listed at $239.99.

PrintNode's Essential plan is $9 a month for 5,000 prints. The pricing page says phones and tablets are not supported as clients, so a computer still has to stay on. The first month is free, and Lite is free for 50 prints a month.

A Pi plus CUPS is a project, not a product. Zebra's CUPS article is the Zebra part of that setup. You still need the right language driver and the right label size, and someone has to keep the Pi updated.

Still to check#

Joining Wi-Fi and Ethernet, showing up as a network printer on macOS, Windows 11, iPhone, and Android, a raw port 9100 job from a Windows queue, a 4x6 PDF at the right size, and a printer power cycle. Those checks are open. The Zebra setup tool on this site speaks ZPL from Chrome or Edge on a computer. It does not make the printer wireless.

Print shipping labels from an iPhone is the phone side of the same problem.

FAQ

Can you make a USB printer wireless?

Not by plugging it into the router. Share it from a computer that stays on, or use a network option the maker lists for that model. Zebra's print servers do not support HTTP or IPP.

Will a regular USB print server work with a Zebra or Rollo?

TP-Link's TL-PS110U compatibility list has no Zebra, Rollo, or DYMO entries. The user guide documents an LPR queue named lp1, and it does not describe IPP or Bonjour.

Is there an alternative to the Rollo wireless adapter?

For a Rollo X1038, Rollo sells that adapter at $59.99. Other printers on this page are not listed for it. Windows or Mac sharing is free and needs the host computer on.

Do I need to leave a computer on?

Yes for Windows sharing, Mac sharing, PrintNode, and a Pi running CUPS. Printopia's stay-awake behavior was not re-read. No for a Rollo adapter or a Zebra print server on a model Zebra lists.

Sources

Related

Product updates

Occasional notes about the Bridge. No account.

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