Sharing printers across a LAN...

[Rico]

Right now, I have a computer set up as a print server for my two printers - a color laser and an old-school LaserJet

The LaserJet is a parallel device and the color laser is a USB 2.0 device.

What I'd like to do is have a network appliance that just plugs into my network and takes the parallel cable and the USB cable, and not require me to have any particular computer booted up.

I have searched the web, and found a lot of products. But if anyone is running one that they like, I'd love to hear about it.

OBTW, my brother, at 39 years of age, as a Navy Senior Chief, is due to be rotated to Iraq as potentially fufilling 11 Bravo duties.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot, over?

[Baron[CotC]]

Sell those printers and buy a network printer?

[Neophyte]

I've only used HP JetDirect print servers - and I'm guessing that they are specific to HP printers only. For my home, I'm using an old (unloved) laptop as my print server. It draws about 22 watts (I've turned off the display and removed the battery) and it runs Windows 2000.

Print server devices work pretty well. You plug the print server in to your router. And plug the printers into the print server. Then on your computer you add printers on the network by the IP Address that the print server provides.

I like D-Link and Netgear products in the category.

This one might work for you:

D-Link DP-300U Multi-Port Print Server RJ45 Two IEEE 1284 Parallel Ports USB 2.0 Port - Retail $61.99

[KrAzYdAvE]

I've used JetDirect and Intel print servers, on printers other than just HP.
However, they are pricey, especially for one that'll work with both devices at the same time.
I'd be for trying Neo's D-link at that price and see how stable it is.

My experience with D-link has been to expect to power cycle it every once in a while when it stops working. However, it's probably still better than having to leave a PC on all the time for it to act as the print server.

[Rico]

A big raspberry to Baron for the "sell printers" comment.

Thanks to the *helpful* commenters - that was exactly the product that I found and was going to try.

If I had a router with more open holes, I could get one of those devices that just plugs into the USB or parallel port and makes the device into a net device. But my 4-port router has three positions filled, and I do not want to buy another router!

[KrAzYdAvE]

You do of course know that you can just add a switch or hub to one of those "holes" and expand the capability of your current router... right?

[Neophyte]

I wonder if a small 5 port switch + RJ45 to Centronics + RJ45 to USB is less than the device above? I bet if you compare this to the D-link print server already mentioned, you'll spend more than twice the money going with the straight forward setup.

But, now that I checked the prices for all three things, and the D-link is much cheaper, I wonder if the D-Link Print Server above really does both printers at the same time? It seems awfully inexpensive comparatively. Like I'm thinking that it can do either/or but not both. I'd be interested to know what you come up with Rico.

[KrAzYdAvE]

Looking at the reviews on that d-link, I saw some people that were hosting 3 printers on it at the same time. So I think it should work in that aspect.
I'd check D-Link's website before buying though to make sure your printers are supported.