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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: sev on 16 November 2009, 22:51:26

Title: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: sev on 16 November 2009, 22:51:26
Hi all,

Right, here's one for you!  I got a household with two laptops and a desktop. The laptops run XP, the tower runs Windows 7.

I've got a printer which needs to be shared between all of them, nothing special, just an HP officejet.

I had a naff netgear ps121 usb print server bought for me (against my advice I may add), and it's shockingly shite - 64K print buffer anyone!!!

Now, I know precious little about print serving, so any advice would be really helpfull.

Do you think that it'd be easier to just go and buy a new printer with ethernet?  I like HP as they have the jets incorporated in the colour cartridge so you don't have the joy of flushing half your catridge away trying to clean them every time like my old epson used to do.

Like I say, all advice appreciated - One thing to note, they never really need to stack print jobs, it's either one or the other needing to print if that makes any difference, never two devices trying to print at once.
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 16 November 2009, 23:02:10
If the lappy and the desktop are allready on a network and can see each other then just set the printer to be shared and make it visible to both machines.

If you then added annother, then plug it into either of the machines and set it for sharing and then each computer has the option the print on either printer, and each computer can be set to have a default printer.
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: sev on 16 November 2009, 23:19:42
Quote
If the lappy and the desktop are allready on a network and can see each other then just set the printer to be shared and make it visible to both machines.

If you then added annother, then plug it into either of the machines and set it for sharing and then each computer has the option the print on either printer, and each computer can be set to have a default printer.

blimey that were quick! :)

Well, both share a router with no1  lappy now docked so as to use the monitor.  Lappy 2 uses wifi, and on this router is connected the netqueer PS121 print server.
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: Lazydocker on 16 November 2009, 23:20:35
Quote
If the lappy and the desktop are allready on a network and can see each other then just set the printer to be shared and make it visible to both machines.

If you then added annother, then plug it into either of the machines and set it for sharing and then each computer has the option the print on either printer, and each computer can be set to have a default printer.

Exactly how I do it... Printer plugged into tower and shared. All machines networked and any of the 3 Laptops or tower can print :y :y

Only downside is the tower has to be turned on and logged into a user :y :y
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 17 November 2009, 08:21:26
Only down side is that the tower needs to be on all the time.

I have a HP wireless printer which is very good but, be aware, not many printers have the nozzles in the cartridge any more.
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: RobG on 17 November 2009, 11:19:09
Quote
If the lappy and the desktop are allready on a network and can see each other then just set the printer to be shared and make it visible to both machines.

If you then added annother, then plug it into either of the machines and set it for sharing and then each computer has the option the print on either printer, and each computer can be set to have a default printer.
I`ve done that and when a request is sent from the lappy to print, nothing :-? Open up print status and it shows no documents pending. Any ideas please :-?
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: TheBoy on 17 November 2009, 18:58:45
Some older officejets cannot be shared (driver limitation - those cynical may say its done on purpose ;)).

Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: TheBoy on 17 November 2009, 19:00:48
Quote
Only down side is that the tower needs to be on all the time.

I have a HP wireless printer which is very good but, be aware, not many printers have the nozzles in the cartridge any more.
I have an Epson PX700W all-in-one device, and must admit (ignoring the cheap, flimsey paper tray) that its the best 'home' all-in-one I have ever come across.
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: RobG on 17 November 2009, 19:34:01
Quote
Some older officejets cannot be shared (driver limitation - those cynical may say its done on purpose ;)).

Mine is a Lexmark X2470 all in one. Lappy has accepted the driver and shows that the printer is ready but still won`t print when requested :-?
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: sev on 18 November 2009, 00:32:09
Quote
Some older officejets cannot be shared (driver limitation - those cynical may say its done on purpose ;)).


I know exactly what you mean!
The two XP lappy's are happy as larry with it, it's the 7 machine i'm having a nightmare with!

I tried installing it manually using standard tcp/ip ports but it just hangs three quarters of the way through the test page.

I've gone back to just using a cable on it now, and just switching the PS off when I need to connect it with a usb cable.

Bruddy netgear!!  >:(  on the Windows7 compatibility site it says that drivers are all ready to be downloaded, lying buggers!

Short of getting a little server on the go, I don't really know what to do, and I'm not going down the apple airport road - I'd rather buy a freecom FSG, and if I'm going to buy one of them, I may as well build a small server!

Oh well, it's only to stop everyone whinging at home, so it's not life or death!
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 18 November 2009, 09:06:34
Quote
Quote
Only down side is that the tower needs to be on all the time.

I have a HP wireless printer which is very good but, be aware, not many printers have the nozzles in the cartridge any more.
I have an Epson PX700W all-in-one device, and must admit (ignoring the cheap, flimsey paper tray) that its the best 'home' all-in-one I have ever come across.

Interesting, I have to say the same about my HP C8180, its great and the duplex printing is really good. That plus ink is not extortionate!
Title: Re: One for the IT crowd... Sharing a printer..
Post by: Dishevelled Den on 18 November 2009, 09:21:18
This chap might be able to sort any further problems encountered :y :y



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