easiest print server to set up?

[egale]

Right now I am sharing the printer hooked directly into my desktop with my home network. It works ok except my machine has to be turned on to print from another machine. I would like to set it up so that the printer is independent from my machine. I see there are fairly inexpensive print servers out there.

Do they plug into your current router and then the printer plugs into the that? Does this work well in real life or is there some other way to do this easier and better?

 

[JackMDS]

http://www.ezlan.net/prtserver.html

 

[egale]

Doesn't look good for me. My printer is not a network printer and its too expensive to replace. Sounds like the hardware print servers are hit or miss.

Thanks for the info!

 

[JackMDS]

I keep the Good expensive printer on my main computer, and have an inexpensive Brother AIO ($50 after rebate) as a network printer for general use.

 

[egale]

Looks like I will just stay with printer sharing for now. But, I have another question.

If I print from my desktop, the printer queue window opens up so I physically see that I have printed something. But, if I print from the laptop to the same printer via printer sharing, it doesn't work that way.

Once you click print on the laptop, there is no other evidence that you tried to print something. On the desktop. the printer queue window does not open up either. As it takes a minute or two for the print to start, I am not sure if the print went through until the printer actually starts doing something.

Thinking about it now, I wonder if I opened up the print window first I would see the remote print come through.

Am I missing something in my setup or is there a piece of software that could pop up when a network print is initiated?

 

[D4L]

OP depending on the environment (OS), I believe you would see the job listed in the print queue if you open it. Though personally I have only experienced it certain times and it happens quickly. The printer icon appears in the systray and then disappears once the job is submitted.

I don't htink you would see any pop-up like you would print from your desktop. I think this is because of you printer being a standalone and not a network printer. As such the software that is loaded on your desktop is what is driving the status viewer. However, if you are printing from your laptop then it is using the windows printer share/print spooler to complete the function in which case i believe the software/drivers loaded for the printer is not involved. I guess one thing you can try doing is loading the software/drivers for printer on your laptop and see if that would allow you to see the status/job.

D$L

Originally posted by: egale
Looks like I will just stay with printer sharing for now. But, I have another question.

If I print from my desktop, the printer queue window opens up so I physically see that I have printed something. But, if I print from the laptop to the same printer via printer sharing, it doesn't work that way.

Once you click print on the laptop, there is no other evidence that you tried to print something. On the desktop. the printer queue window does not open up either. As it takes a minute or two for the print to start, I am not sure if the print went through until the printer actually starts doing something.

Thinking about it now, I wonder if I opened up the print window first I would see the remote print come through.

Am I missing something in my setup or is there a piece of software that could pop up when a network print is initiated?