Advice on Print Servers Please

[mcdhu]

As you may have seen from my thread entitled 'Difficulty Printing via Wireless', Mad Jock, SD and others have pointed out that Xp Home will only support up to 5 attached devices and I am over that. I therefore need a print server. This is where I need advice.

The network is a main Dell PC with a Canon Pixma MP520 attached via USB and all the attached devices - laptops i-touches etc are connected via a Netgear DG834Gv3 wireless modem router and the laptops share the printer. All running Xp Home SP3.

I am not too adept at all this so I am looking for something which will not be too taxing to set up. The research on the www so far leads me to the following observatione.

The Canon only has USB ie no serial port.

It is a multi function device and so requires 2 way and is not wireless capable.

Netgear have something called a PS121 which seems to fit the bill.

Any comments/ suggestions/ thought gratefully received.

Thank you and cheers!
mcdhu

[mixture]

How about something of German manufacture ?

Haven't played with their USB models, but have played with their other kit and was very easy to set up.

SEH Print Servers

These are USB Device servers and so can be used with more than just printers, apparently.

UPDATE: for some reason, the link above does not take you to the right page, please use the products menu and click on the "USB Device server" option (don't select any of the items on the little sub-menu and you will get an overview page of their USB products).

[Bushfiva]

You could patch tcpip.sys to get around the limit. I'd imagine googling for EventID 4226 Patcher Version 2.23d (english), might be worthwhile. You would want to read your license to see whether you think this contravenes its terms.

[srobarts]

The Netgear printer compatibilty list says that
Multifunction printers such as combination printer/copier/fax only support the printing function.

Except as noted, bidirectional features, such as reporting ink status to networked computers, are not supported.

We have a SEH printer server which has their UTN protocol to link USB bi-directionally. It works well with our A3 Epson printer and Konica Minolta laser printer which other print servers do not support.
Hope that helps.

[Saab Dastard]

Netgear print servers are designed primarily for printing, not for multi-function devices. It is quite possible that only the print functionality will work, not scanning. You can get network MFP servers from other vendors, but they tend to be a little more expensive.

SD

[jimtherev]

I can cofirm what SD writes: I use a PS121, and it is pretty-well unidirectional. Once set up (and this can be a struggle: it's not intuitive - or at least to my intuition anyway) it's rock solid - I just print. But, no, for a multifunctional device I fear you need to look further. Sorry

[Saab Dastard]

MFP devices need network servers such as Edimax or Silex (they make one specifically for Canon MFPs).

SD

[Mike-Bracknell]

Why not just go for Windows 7 Professional?

~£80ish, and would solve your 5 device limit and any future limits.

[mcdhu]

Thanks Mike-B. Would that have to be on all the devices (PCs and Lappies) or could it be only on the main PC to which the printer is attached?

Bit of a minefield, this - to a novice!

Thanks
mcdhu

[Saab Dastard]

You could just put it on the main PC to which the printer is attached.

However, it is not as functional a solution as providing a dedicated MFP network server. For a start, the main PC has to be on to use the printer, which may be quite wasteful and inconvenient.

SD

[Background Noise]

Yes, this is the sort of thing you need - I ran one of these for a multi-function Epson and it provided wireless printing and scanning, but had a slight hiccup with the latest Mac OS but worked fine with windows. I've now gone to a wireless printer.

Edimax PS-1206MFg - Wireless USB MFP Server

[mcdhu]

At last - email back from Silex confirming that the c-6700WG is the answer and a nice man from WML here in UK spent 20 mins telling me how to configure/install it. Let's hope it works!!

Thanks again all,
mcdhu

[mad_jock]

Good to see that you are getting on top of a proper solution to your problem. And not as most do a cobbled together soft bodge job which will be as future proof as a mars bar on the beach in the Med during summer.

Happy Printing/scanning etc

MJ

[mcdhu]

Thanks MJ. I have the w/e off to read the instructions and then a day off on Mon with wife at work, kids at school to take the plunge!! The nice man at The Silex agents in UK (William Matthew Limited) said to ring him if any probs and he would help. Good service fron both. What a breath of fresh air! I'll report back!

Regards all
mcdhu

[mad_jock]

read the instructions

takes out half the fun of it.

Take it out of the box plug it in apart from the USB cables. Turn computer on, stick in the disk and then see what installs. Taking advanced options at all times and going with default if you don't understand what it is on about.

Once that's finished plug in the USB and say out loud "work ya bastard" works with 95% of IT equipment I have ever installed.

[itwasme]

I realise you've bought your Silex now, but a rather cheaper option if you don't need built in wireless (or if you already have a wireless hub) is the TP-link TL-PS310U. You can attach up to 4 usb devices to it using a cheap USB hub (not included). It works a treat with my Pixma IP4600 colour printer and my Epson V200 Scanner. It also handles my unbranded webcam.

Very easy to install - job done in 20 mins max. Retails at about 25 quid.

Good luck.

Edit. Oh yeah, works fine with Win7 32 & 64 bit too.

[Keef]

TP-link TL-PS310U

Do I understand right? If I have one of these and connect my two printers and the scanner to it, will the desktop and the laptop both have independent access to them, and be able to use them and receive "out of paper" and such messages as required?

That would be seriously useful here!

I did look at the website but I didn't find those answers there. I don't even know what an MFP is (well I do, but not in the computer context).

[itwasme]

Keef,

yes, your understanding is correct.

Just to make sure of my facts, I've just printed a page from my laptop connect over wireless on my Pixma printer whilst simultaneously scanning a doc on the V200 from my desktop. The operation was faultless. Laptop is Win7 32bit, desktop Win7 64bit. Drivers are supplied for XP/Vista, but work fine with the new Windows.

All software/driver functions work as if connected by usb ie. the pixma told me it was out of paper, that I hadn't open the front tray and showed me the ink levels. Scanner operation was similarly normal.

I should just point out that only one pc can have "ownership" of a device at any time, unlike an office printer where tasks are queued, but this isn't a problem for a SOHO environment. "Ownership" is via a small app that runs on each pc on the network which shows the devices available and their status. Connecting/disconnecting to a device takes a second or so.

The device itself is tiny - about 2/3 the size of a packet of fags. I've connected mine to a similarly small HP 4-port hub which cost about 4 quid from ebay. As I have a wireless AP on my network, it works wirelessly, as described.

Installation consists of plugging it into the network (router/switch) and running the installation software. Connect the hub/device(s) to the usb port on the 310u and connect one pc at a time to the device (printer/scanner etc) the via the installed app. At this point you install the device software/drivers for you device (printer, scanner etc). Bob's your uncle...etc.

I hope that's useful to you, any questions, please get back to me. I don't think there are too many vendors out there, but I can PM you a link if you need one.

Cheers.

BTW I presume an MFP in this case to be a multi-function printer ie printer/scanner/fax/tea maker/shoe-shiner device all in one.

[Keef]

Thanks!

Duly ordered one. Four devices works nicely - the two printers, the scanner, and the "security" webcam.

Interesting that the regular suppliers wanted about £12 P&P. One advertised ex VAT - £21 headline price, £37 delivered. I paid £25 on Ebay.

I decided that by MFP they must mean multi-function peripheral. I do get so confused with TLAs at my age

[itwasme]

Glad to be of assistance. Any problems, just drop me a line.