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Old printer.
New connection.

Adding Wi-Fi and AirPrint to an HP LaserJet P1005 with a Raspberry Pi Zero.

Built & usedRaspberry PiProject notes
Concept diagram: a phone sends a print job over the home network to a Raspberry Pi, which connects to the old printer by USB
A small bridge between an old USB printer and the home network. Illustration, not a photo of my setup.

01 / The idea

Keep the printer.
Change how it connects.

My HP LaserJet P1005 did not have native AirPrint. I used a Raspberry Pi Zero to add the network-printing side, rather than asking the printer to do something it was never built to do.

The Pi sits between the USB printer and the home network. It receives print jobs, handles the printer connection, and makes the printer available wirelessly. I got Wi-Fi and AirPrint working with this setup.

AirPrint, not AirPlay.

AirPrint is for printing from Apple devices. The printer still connects to the Pi by USB; the Pi is the network bridge.

02 / The parts

A small computer, an old printer.

01

HP LaserJet P1005

The existing USB printer. No native AirPrint.

02

Raspberry Pi Zero

The small Linux computer acting as a print server.

For a similar build, also plan for

  • A microSD card with an OS compatible with your Pi.
  • A suitable power supply and a USB data connection to the printer.
  • A connection from the Pi to your home network.

Check which Zero you have before buying parts. The original Zero has no built-in Wi-Fi; wireless models or a compatible adapter provide it. The exact Zero variant and adapter details are not recorded here.

03 / The software

Three separate jobs.

Print server

CUPS

Manages the printer queue and passes print jobs to the USB printer. My setup notes confirm OpenPrinting CUPS 2.4.10 was running.

Discovery

Avahi

The Bonjour-compatible mDNS/DNS-SD piece in the setup plan. It helps devices find shared services on the local network.

Printer support

A compatible Linux driver

The setup notes discussed foo2zjs and HPLIP for the P1005. The final driver and firmware choice was not preserved, so those should be checked rather than treated as a tested recipe.

Background: CUPS printer sharing · Avahi service discovery

04 / Build overview

How the pieces fit together.

This is a record of the project and a high-level path for a similar build, not a copy-and-paste installation guide.

  1. Get the Pi onto the network

    Install a compatible Raspberry Pi OS and make sure the Pi can reach your network and download packages. The original setup had networking problems before the printing work could begin.

  2. Bring up the print server

    Install and start CUPS, then confirm its administration interface works. Keep administration authenticated and limited to your trusted local network.

  3. Add the USB printer

    Connect the P1005 to the Pi, select the actual USB device in CUPS, and configure a compatible driver. Prove that a local test page prints before debugging wireless discovery.

  4. Share and discover

    Enable sharing for the printer and configure local discovery. CUPS sharing and Bonjour-compatible discovery are separate parts of the same path.

  5. Test from the devices you use

    Check printing from the Mac and the iPhone or iPad on the same home network. Then check again after restarting the Pi and power-cycling the printer.

05 / What to watch for

The details matter.

Discovery is not the same as printing

A printer appearing in a list does not prove that its driver can print. Test the USB queue first, then the network connection.

Check firmware after a cold start

The P1005 has a firmware-loading requirement. Verify the chosen driver’s firmware setup and test after switching the printer off and back on. Do not assume installing a package alone has covered it.

OpenPrinting’s P1005 firmware-loading configuration

Keep it on the home network

A home print server does not need to be exposed to the public internet. Keep credentials private, keep the Pi updated, and avoid router port forwarding for the print service.

The result

One less reason to replace a printer.

The Pi added Wi-Fi and AirPrint to hardware that did not have them. It was a connectivity upgrade, not a fix for worn printer parts or faded output.

Keep handy

Useful references

Written up October 2026. The build history is preserved as project notes; package versions, drivers, and setup steps can change.