Networking my printer?

I want to get a broadband router to share my internet with my girlfriend's laptop, but I am thinking I'd like to put my printer (Epson Stylus Photo R300) onto the network instead of connecting it to my PC, so that she can print without turning my PC on. There is no ethernet socket in the back of the printer, only a USB socket. Is what I want to do possible? I've googled it and come up with nothing so far...

Cheers for any advice :)

Yes, it is possible.

Search for "Print Server" - so little things like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Netgear-Mini-Print-Server-PS121/dp/B0001BXVA4/sr=8-1/qid=1160341820/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7611942-7539116?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Many of the small home routers or switches come with a built-in printserver, starting around $40 or so.

You can hook up a USB printer (or parallel, if you search a little harder) to it, and both computers will be able to print to it.

There's a wireless print server in Argos for about £70 I think.

http://www.microdirect.co.uk/productlister.aspx?GroupID=426

I've got a couple of linksys print servers (one parallel, the other USB) both where very easy to set up (pretty much just plug into a spare network port, then plug in printer and power up).

You can get a router which also has a printer port (although I don't know any specific make off the top of my head), but personally I prefer to have it separate.

How annoying, I've just ordered a linksys wireless router! I'll do some research to see if there's a cheap alternate with built in print server - otherwise I'll just do without. What a globe-ache. Cheers for the info...

What's the difference between a router and an access point?

[edit] Don't worry, I googled it and it's not what I'm after :)

http://www.nextag.com/US-Robotics-U-S-76349798/prices-html

http://www.nextag.com/D-LINK-DI-707P-69102182/prices-html
For this one you need a convertor cable to USB

http://www.nextag.com/D-LINK-DI-824VUP-500881104/prices-html
USB adaptor needed as well... but those are common... THIS ONE IS WIRELESS...

Don't forget if you are setting up a wireless to make it SECURE ACCESS via password OR encryption!!!

I'm in the UK, so I've been searching and not found anything I'd care to shell out on :( cheers for the links though.

How do I go about making the network secure? Within WinXP or in whatever utility comes with the router?

connect to the router's web interface, and enable its security settings. You can typically enable various forms of encryption (with password), as well as limit which MAC addresses (unique for each network adapter) are allowed to connect to the router.
windows XP will detect that the network is secure, and ask you for the password to use when you first connect to it.

I'm in the UK and I've got a home-network set-up with a Netgear WGPS606 USB Print Server connected to my current router. Works really well!