Anyone got experience of free print servers? I'm having theis problem with an XP machine with a Printer attached and a Win98 machine, both networked via a hub/switch. Basically the printer works for a while from the 98 machine, then it seems to go offline. Right clicking it in Printers and select Use Printer Offline to remove the tick seems to jimmy it into action again. This is a pain. I was thinking of installing a print server instead, would this solve my problem or is it some kind of network connection timing out problem. I think (I'd better check) I set the XP netcard to "don't save power on this device" or whatever it's called. The XP computer used to be a Win98 computer (different hardware) and the whole printer sharing thing worked fine then. So hardware and OS has changed and it's gone poop now.
Print Servers
Miscellaneous Forums/General Discussion/Print Servers Stick the printer on the XP machine and get that to share it. Works fine here.
TIm.
TIm.
the printer is on XP and is shared, the win98 machine is trying to print to it over the network. It *should* work, I've done this sorta thing before but I keep getting the printer is offline message after a period of time, sounds like the network connection to it is being lost for some reason, weird.
I have always had no end of problems trying to get Win98<->WinXP networking to work consistently.
I do not envy you one bit.
I do not envy you one bit.
thanx :-( Worse bit is, it's not my personal setup, it's my accountants and I don't want to look like an idiot as I'm charging him!
I've actually been looking for wireless print servers that work with AIO machines. I have a Brother MFC-420CN, and it says that it's networkable, but it doesn't say that it can do wireless networking. However, if you hook that into the router itself, it's only good for one PC. Here I'm trying to make it work for 3 PCs wirelessly, two desktops and a notebook. I hear that Netgear seems to have the best print server for all-in-ones. Whether that would even work for both scanning and printing, or PC fax, that's another thing.
For $50 or so you can buy a cheap hardware print server -- which is pretty much a little box that has an RJ45 network connector and a parrallel or USB port for the printer.
The printer then won't need to be hooked & shared on either computer, but both can print there directly over the local network.
For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833315059 (parallel)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833156025 (USB)
(There are many others in the same price range)
The one catch is that you'll need special drivers for Win98 (XP should be fine, it can print to a standard ethernet printserver out of the box), so you need to make sure that the print server in question comes with Win98 drivers.
Alternatively, if you have a small home network with a home router in it, you can consider replacing the router for one with a built-in print server, for example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833135113#DetailSpecs (Broadband router with USB print server)
The printer then won't need to be hooked & shared on either computer, but both can print there directly over the local network.
For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833315059 (parallel)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833156025 (USB)
(There are many others in the same price range)
The one catch is that you'll need special drivers for Win98 (XP should be fine, it can print to a standard ethernet printserver out of the box), so you need to make sure that the print server in question comes with Win98 drivers.
Alternatively, if you have a small home network with a home router in it, you can consider replacing the router for one with a built-in print server, for example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833135113#DetailSpecs (Broadband router with USB print server)
interesting. I was going to try a software print server first.