I have the Black Beast located in another part of the house from my printer.  The printer is located in the vicinity of the old computer, modem and router.  Can someone point me in the direction of a good article on print servers?  (Magoo - another section for the Wireless Network Guide)

Thanks in advance

thorin

You have two options.  The cheapest option is to turn your old computer into a print server.  If both computers are running windows, then you can do this through File & Printer Sharing.  If you have a Microsoft server OS available (like Server2003)  you can throw on the old machine, then you can make a print server that way.  If you don't have Microsoft server available but are willing to install Linux on the old box, then you can make a great little print server with Ubuntu or some other Linux distribution.

The second option isn't free, but it doesn't involve the old computer.  So if the printer is too far from the old computer or there is some other limitation, this might be the way to go.  You can buy a network adapter that connects to the printer on one side and your network on the other side.  You can find stand-alone print servers that will connect to the network with standard network wires or wirelessly.

Here are some examples of these print servers:

Wired -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2050330387+1135110068...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833130020

Wireless -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2050330387+1135110087...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833124042

I don't have any recent experience with these stand-alone print servers, so I can't recommend a specific one, but Linksys always makes a solid product, and I have had lots of good experiences with Zonet products.

Let me know if you are interested in the first option and need more details.

It can, but you need something to make the other half of the network connection.  That's the purpose of the devices in the links MrMagoo gave you.  I actually like these so-called "pocket printservers", and have setup several.

For USB printers I like the D-Link DP301-U.  The WRT54G talks to the DP301-U through an ethernet cable, and the printer plugs into the DP301-U with a short USB cable.  XP can work with these devices natively, but Win98 requires installing additional software (included with the printserver).

If you prefer a wireless connection, MrMagoo gave you a link to those, too.  They setup the same way, except you usually connect the printserver to the network via cable first to get the wireless part configured.  (You can configure these things via your web browser through a sort of "webserver" embedded in the printserver.)

I love Linksys routers, but FWIW, I stay away from Linksys adapters (network clients) because they tend to demand their own client software instead of allowing you to use XP's native features.

The WRT54G/GL has been my favorite home-grade router, primarily because it uses GPL firmware.  (At least the regular WRT54G versions 1-4, but Linksys messed everything up with v5.  Fortunately, they continued the v4 G model as the GL.)

The use of GPL firmware means third parties can rewrite/improve/add features.  I've had excellent performance from some of these, and have settled on the free dd-wrt firmware for my 3 personal WRT54G's.  Vpn passthrough now works correctly--Linksys never could get that right.  It adds other useful things like adjustable antenna power, static dhcp, a built-in one-tunnel vpn server, and more.

The Linksys network adapters--particularly the wireless adapters like the WG311, WG511, WPC11, etc--are another story.  The Linksys software added by the CD sometimes gets in the way and can make problems more difficult to troubleshoot, but it's not easy getting the driver installed without the extra Linksys baggage.  Just my personal opinion, but I actually prefer using el-cheapo adapters like Hawking and AirTech instead of Linksys wireless adapters.

I've setup a WRT54G in my daughter's house in Oregon, where she is going to college.  She and her roommates all have laptops, connect wirelessly, and have a Laserjet they share.  The LJ has a wireless printserver plugged directly into its parallel port.  (These things are so small the entire printserver is physically attached to the printer, so there's no cable between the printserver and the printer.)  It sits on an end table in a corner, with no cords going to it except power, and they can all print to it from anywhere in the house.

Same here. I have several Linksys wireless cards. I just install the drivers but not the software.

Dan Goodell wrote on Aug 8^th, 2006 at 3:09am:


Dan, that just how I did it. The drivers folder on the CD.

Purchased a CompUSA wired print server.  One major problem an one minor problem:

minor - How do I tell Zone Alarm to let the print server connect with the network?  I have to shut down Zone Alarm in order for the print server to be seen when I attempt to install it on my hard wired computer - hard wired to the router.

major - when I install the printer, after deleting all printers from the hard wired computer, everything seems to go great, but when the computer sends a test page, nothing happens and I have to delete the print job from the start/settings/printer faxes menu - and that can take a long time.  But nothing will print, just back up in the printer spool.  Put everything back, no print server, and I can print normally from the wired computer.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

thorin

Thanks MrMagoo,

I had reinstalled the printer,  but the CompUSA directions said to install it as a local printer.  Will try again when I get back from work.

Oh, by the way, according to something I saw, I believe it is port 137 that Zone Alarm is blocking.

thorin