Can a wireless router directly be connected to a hub/switch?

In our office, DSL internet comes to the 1st PC via a wireless router. With the same 1st PC, a hub/switch is connected which distribute the internet to other 4 PCs of our office. 1 of the 4 PCs also has a wired HP printer attached with it.

A line can be drawn like this:
Internet--> Wireless router--> 1st computer--> switch/hub (wired)--> four other computers--> Printer attached with one computer.

The same Wireless router also provide internet to our two laptops wirelessly.

Though internet is shared with all PCs & laptops. Ther're 2 problems with this arrangement.

1. Printer is shared only with the PCs, including the 1st PC, but not with the laptops.

2. If the 1st PC is shut down, internet can only flow to the 2 laptops but not to the other PCs.

I think that joining the wireless router directly to hub (through wire) will solve the 2nd problem.

For the 1st problem, what I think the best solution will be is to purchase a wireless print server but it is costly.

Please suggest.

To Ebilan:

My printer is already connect with an old PC which is on the hub, however, i think, I won't be able to make print outs directly from my laptop, will I?

To save on the print server cost, another solution which I think is to purchase a wireless USB adapter and insert and configure it with the same old computer connected with printer.

However, I am not sure whether it will solve the question of wireless printing through laptop.

Please advise!

The setup SOUNDS like you have the 1PC as a Domain Controller? Is it running Windows Server? If so the wireless units will need to set that machines IP as the gateway and use the IP ranges listed for the rest of the machines, then you can connect to the printer.

Your current setup is very odd, unless the 1st PC is setup as a server for the company network. Normally the setup would be
Internet --->router--->switch --->all PC's in which case all wireless and wired machines would be on the same network segment and your printer (on any machine, wired or wireless) would work as the router is setting all IP's.

When you go to a PC out or the router and then to the switch that PC has to be setting the IP's (using ICS internet connection sharing) as the DHCP server for those machines which means that machine will have a second network card that connects into it.

If the first machine has only ONE netowork card and connects to the switch, then it is indeed just like all other machines and is not conntrolling a second network.

Plug the switch straight in to the router. It'll work fine.
Print servers can be costly I agree. If your work has an old crappy pc that isn't being used for anything then you could stick that computer in a corner (set up to automatically log in on bootup and to shut down when the power button is pressed) with no screen, keyboard or mouse just to act as a print server.

Correct and Correct. Wireless Print servers though can be fairly cheap. Some go for as low as 100$