Need to choose economical Laser Printer and Router.

[Guest]

Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web (and
rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
located at the same computer.

I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has only
2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB ports is
unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and unpowered USB hubs,
and there aren't any slots avail in computer for cards! Bah.)


Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected to
Router's Ethernet "In" port?

If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost "Personal
Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser connected to the
near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..


PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
Printservers unless wireless.


So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver. Can I
assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software setting or
hardware method are fine.)

I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe the
solution is simpler than it seems.

 

[Robert Barr]

, but maybe the

solution is simpler than it seems.

Yep: USB hub.

 

[Lucas Tam]

PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
Printservers unless wireless.

Dlink has a couple of Printer servers with USB support.

Well, even if your router has wireless doesn't mean you have to use it.
You're only paying a couple dollars more for wireless anways.

 

[Boyd Williston]

Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web
(and rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and
Router located at the same computer.

I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has
only 2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB
ports is unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and
unpowered USB hubs, and there aren't any slots avail in computer for
cards! Bah.)


Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected
to Router's Ethernet "In" port?

If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost
"Personal Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser
connected to the near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..


PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
Printservers unless wireless.


So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver.
Can I assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software
setting or hardware method are fine.)

I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe
the solution is simpler than it seems.

Wireless routers with print servers are available, they just aren't hot
sellers. A Netgear model they still make is the FR114P. A similar D-Link
model is DI-407P.

 

[Bill M.]

Wireless routers with print servers are available, they just aren't hot
sellers. A Netgear model they still make is the FR114P. A similar D-Link
model is DI-407P.

I've used print servers from DLink (embedded in router) and Linksys
(standalone) and both had to be rebooted frequently in order to allow
printing. I was using them with an Epson Stylus Color 900 and an
Okidata OL-400 Laser. 'Frequently' was at least daily for the Linksys
and about every 3-5 sheets for the D-Link. Obviously, something was
wrong and neither company's Support could figure it out. Now I simply
have the printers connected to a networked PC (and shared, of course)
and have not had a single problem since.

 

[Quaoar]

I've used print servers from DLink (embedded in router) and Linksys
(standalone) and both had to be rebooted frequently in order to allow
printing. I was using them with an Epson Stylus Color 900 and an
Okidata OL-400 Laser. 'Frequently' was at least daily for the Linksys
and about every 3-5 sheets for the D-Link. Obviously, something was
wrong and neither company's Support could figure it out. Now I simply
have the printers connected to a networked PC (and shared, of course)
and have not had a single problem since.

The Linksys EFSP two port server simply could not renew a lease unless
set to a static IP, and even then would simply drop from the network.
Given that, the Linksys was a decent server except it tended to die a
mysterious death at about 6-9 months, probably thermal. Linksys no
longer manufactures the two port server, which is too bad, since with a
little work by Linksys, it could have been a success with widespread
home networking.

Q

 

[Guest]

I've used print servers from DLink (embedded in router) and Linksys
(standalone) and both had to be rebooted frequently in order to allow
printing. I was using them with an Epson Stylus Color 900 and an
Okidata OL-400 Laser. 'Frequently' was at least daily for the Linksys
and about every 3-5 sheets for the D-Link. Obviously, something was
wrong and neither company's Support could figure it out. Now I simply
have the printers connected to a networked PC (and shared, of course)
and have not had a single problem since.

You guys have helped a lot. I still had to look at more info, but somehow
this helped sort things out.

=========Outline:
An Ethernet networkable printer costs US$150- 370 more than non network
ready printer. And I don't need the features that tend to come with more
costly lasers. (It's still possible that the lowest cost network ready
lasers don't mess up as often as the lowest cost non network lasers. The
print quality, handling, page cost, etc. might be better, too)

Router with most expensive print server use USB. USB costs US$8- 30 more
than parallel. And parallel costs $20 more than Router lacking print server.

=========So, my strategy:
I need to select Laser, then assume I will find a print server that works (I
appear to have many Router choices, but ITRW stuff is too often
incompatible).

One tip I've read is to be sure the Router's printserver is bi-directional.

I have slowest cheap broadband, so privacy/security/firewall abilities of
Router most concern me. (and reliability, which Bill M. wbillups mentioned)


If no Router works with printer, I resign myself to turning on the printer's
computer when printing from second computer. (I rarely print from second
computer, btw) If the printer uses USB only, then I'll Hotplug various
devices as necessary. An extension USB from the back of the computer will
make swapping easier. I don't trust messing with USB hubs.



regarding parallel port speed versus Ethernet or USB speed: I'd have thought
the printer was the speed bottleneck, especially considering the need for
spooling. (yes?) But I saw a post claiming to have found large difference,
same printer, parallel vs Ethernet. Whichever is true, I'm not going to be
printing a lot, so parallel speeds should (continue to) be fine.


and in response to one person: a Webstar modem is already supplied by the
provider.

 

[Tom Scales]

The Linksys EFSP two port server simply could not renew a lease unless
set to a static IP, and even then would simply drop from the network.
Given that, the Linksys was a decent server except it tended to die a
mysterious death at about 6-9 months, probably thermal. Linksys no
longer manufactures the two port server, which is too bad, since with a
little work by Linksys, it could have been a success with widespread
home networking.

Q

Linksys does manufacture a two port print server, the WPS54GU2. It works
with one Parallel printer and one USB printer and works either 10/100 wired
or B/G wireless. Pretty slick little box. I run it with my Samsung ML-1710
laser and my Epson 1270 inkjet attached.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=37&prid=584

Tom

 

[Quaoar]

Linksys does manufacture a two port print server, the WPS54GU2. It
works with one Parallel printer and one USB printer and works either
10/100 wired or B/G wireless. Pretty slick little box. I run it with
my Samsung ML-1710 laser and my Epson 1270 inkjet attached.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=37&prid=584

Tom

Sorry, was referring to parallel port print servers, should have made
that clear. I presume that Linksys has this server pretty well QA'd,
one can only hope Cisco is making positive inroads on Linksys's historic
manufacturing practices.

Q

 

[Bill M.]

Linksys does manufacture a two port print server, the WPS54GU2. It works
with one Parallel printer and one USB printer and works either 10/100 wired
or B/G wireless. Pretty slick little box. I run it with my Samsung ML-1710
laser and my Epson 1270 inkjet attached.

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=37&prid=584

Does this unit let you monitor ink levels and clean print heads on the
Epson?

 

[Tom Scales]

Nope. The status monitor doesn't work. Does it on any print server?

Tom

 

[Bill M.]

Nope. The status monitor doesn't work. Does it on any print server?

It works fine on my setup using a networked PC as a dedicated print
server. ;-)
Actually, I thought your answer would be the case. Thanks for
confirming.

 

[Tom Scales]

But does it work on the networked PC to which it is attached or on the
remote printer doing the printing. I would guess on the machine to which it
is attached, which makes sense.

Tom

 

[Bill M.]

But does it work on the networked PC to which it is attached or on the
remote printer doing the printing. I would guess on the machine to which it
is attached, which makes sense.

If I understand your question, the Epson "status monitor functions"
work on all 7 of my networked PC's. As you mentioned below, that
wouldn't have been the case if I were using a Linksys/DLink-type
device.