Is this possible?

[PT]

I have a HP LJ3030 Multifunction LaserJet, which works well and I don't wish
to replace.

It's connected by USB to one of my two WindowsXP Home computers. The other
is networked through a DSL modem/router. Both computers can transfer files
and can send print jobs to the LJ3030

Now I've added a new Vista Ultimate 64 bit computer.

HP has Vista Drivers for the LJ3030 printer. But the HP tech told me that
the LJ3030 is "not networkable" and the Vista computer must be connected
directly by USB to the printer.

A simple solution would be to obtain a USB splitter, enabling two USB inputs
to the printer. I would never be sending print jobs simultaneously from
both computers. So here are my questions:

1. Is there such a splitter?
2. If so would my kludge work?
3. Is there an easier way to do this?

 

[Recycler]

PT:

You might want to consider adding an HP Jetdirect external print server
to the LJ3030. According to the HP support site, this is an option for
your printer, although I don't know if an IP network will support other
than printing.

Like you, I have a mixed XP and Vista environment with various HP
printers. My 2300L laser printer has a Jetdirect network card in the
printer, and I was able to set up various computers on my house network
to talk to the Jetdirect server through the network. Included were XP
(32-bit), Vista (32-bit), and Vista (64-bit).

Good Luck.

 

[PT]

That sounds very intriguing. I'll call HP support and follow up.

 

[Lem]

I have a HP LJ3030 Multifunction LaserJet, which works well and I don't wish
to replace.

It's connected by USB to one of my two WindowsXP Home computers. The other
is networked through a DSL modem/router. Both computers can transfer files
and can send print jobs to the LJ3030

Now I've added a new Vista Ultimate 64 bit computer.

HP has Vista Drivers for the LJ3030 printer. But the HP tech told me that
the LJ3030 is "not networkable" and the Vista computer must be connected
directly by USB to the printer.

A simple solution would be to obtain a USB splitter, enabling two USB inputs
to the printer. I would never be sending print jobs simultaneously from
both computers. So here are my questions:

1. Is there such a splitter?
2. If so would my kludge work?
3. Is there an easier way to do this?

You already know -- contrary to the HP tech -- that the printer *is*
shareable across your network. Therefore, the first thing you ought to
do is simply try to access the shared printer via your network. Install
the Vista printer drivers on the Vista machine. The printer should be
found during the installation routine. If it isn't, use the Add New
Printer wizard.
See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

What the HP tech may have meant is that this printer is not networkable
in the sense that it can't have its own IP address. That is what
JetDirect print servers do, and the benefit is that the printer is
available to any computer on the network without regard to whether any
of the other computers is on. But that's not what your system is: you
have the printer as a shared resource of one of your XP computers. It
can be used by any printer on the network only if that XP computer is
active.

It seems to me as if the issue is one of nomenclature, rather than one
of hardware capability.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm