Networks and Printers - advice please
Discussion
I need advice on how to connect an all-in-one printer to a home network.
First of all, can any printer (ours is a year old) be plugged into a network, or must it have a network socket on the printer itself (upon quick inspection ours doesn't)?
If mine can't, then whats a good all-in-one printer?
How easy is it to get the network set up once I know/own a network capable printer? (My network would be a wireless system, although the printer would probably have a wired connection, as its so close to the router)
Any help or advice would be greatly received!
Thanks in advance,
Darren
First of all, can any printer (ours is a year old) be plugged into a network, or must it have a network socket on the printer itself (upon quick inspection ours doesn't)?
If mine can't, then whats a good all-in-one printer?
How easy is it to get the network set up once I know/own a network capable printer? (My network would be a wireless system, although the printer would probably have a wired connection, as its so close to the router)
Any help or advice would be greatly received!
Thanks in advance,
Darren
This should be in the computers forum, and will no doubt be moved there, but for now...
Network socket in the printer itself is the easiest way. Then your printer plugs straight into your network bridging device (router/hub/switch), gets assigned an IP address, and is then a "true" network printer. The alternative, if you don't have a network socket on the printer, is to install it over USB on one PC and then share the printer over the network via that PC. Disadvantages are that the host PC needs to be turned on before anyone can use the printer, the PC needs to be in a non-crashed state before it will process the print command and that it takes up some of the PC's processing capacity to process the print command (but no more than if you were to have printed the document yourself, which in modern PCs means very little). These are minor annoyances though, and generally speaking, having a printer linked in to a network via a PC works very well and adequately for most home users.
If you want one with a network socket anyway, then just go look for one. I'm not up to speed on what is or isn't good, but I suspect the market is fairly homogenous now and you should just go for the one that gives you the best set of features that suit you.
Quite straightforward. If you are doing it though a network-enabled printer, you only need to plug it in and install some driver software on the PCs that will be using the printer. You may well need to press a couple of buttons or print out an IP configuration sheet straight from the printer itself, but it will come with a quick manual or one-page instruction guide telling you all you need to do. If you are doing it via USB, then it's as simple as installing the printer normally and then going to the printer properties on the host PC and setting it as shared. Other PCs can then add it as a network printer.
iluvmercs said:
First of all, can any printer (ours is a year old) be plugged into a network, or must it have a network socket on the printer itself (upon quick inspection ours doesn't)?
Network socket in the printer itself is the easiest way. Then your printer plugs straight into your network bridging device (router/hub/switch), gets assigned an IP address, and is then a "true" network printer. The alternative, if you don't have a network socket on the printer, is to install it over USB on one PC and then share the printer over the network via that PC. Disadvantages are that the host PC needs to be turned on before anyone can use the printer, the PC needs to be in a non-crashed state before it will process the print command and that it takes up some of the PC's processing capacity to process the print command (but no more than if you were to have printed the document yourself, which in modern PCs means very little). These are minor annoyances though, and generally speaking, having a printer linked in to a network via a PC works very well and adequately for most home users.
iluvmercs said:
If mine can't, then whats a good all-in-one printer?
If you want one with a network socket anyway, then just go look for one. I'm not up to speed on what is or isn't good, but I suspect the market is fairly homogenous now and you should just go for the one that gives you the best set of features that suit you.
iluvmercs said:
How easy is it to get the network set up once I know/own a network capable printer?
Quite straightforward. If you are doing it though a network-enabled printer, you only need to plug it in and install some driver software on the PCs that will be using the printer. You may well need to press a couple of buttons or print out an IP configuration sheet straight from the printer itself, but it will come with a quick manual or one-page instruction guide telling you all you need to do. If you are doing it via USB, then it's as simple as installing the printer normally and then going to the printer properties on the host PC and setting it as shared. Other PCs can then add it as a network printer.
I've been using Lantronix print servers for years for this. It's a box that plugs into the printer and the LAN;
www.lantronix.com/device-networking/external-device-servers/
In fact, here's a lot of 6 for, er, 12p each;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOT-OF-6-LANTRO
I use one of these for my home Laserjet.
You'll have to buy a power supply for them, but Robert Dyas have an universal wall-wart at the moment for about £3.99.
www.lantronix.com/device-networking/external-device-servers/
In fact, here's a lot of 6 for, er, 12p each;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOT-OF-6-LANTRO
I use one of these for my home Laserjet.
You'll have to buy a power supply for them, but Robert Dyas have an universal wall-wart at the moment for about £3.99.
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