Newbie Seeks Printer Help

[Bremmer]

You have got some good advice in the replies here except from measekite
who
never gives credible advice.

Do yourself a favour and just ignore him.

Good advice Tony, thanks.

 

[Bremmer]

I remember using a system once that had four computers and one printer
and a 'switch box' on Win 98, about the simplest for any computer
unless you want to start configuring and installing.

Simply plug in and switch and they don't need a power cord, not all
the leads in the cable needs to be switched.

Davy

I've looked into that but I can't find any switchboxes with software to
remotely switch the input using pure DOS (which is what the word processor
requires). It is a very attractive solution though so I might pursue it
anyway.

 

[DaveG]

Many thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure that both PCs have
available PCI slots. However, the remote PC is running the word
processor in pure DOS mode. The PC with the printer attached is usually
running Windows 98 normally, but it may be in pure DOS mode as well if
the user is running the same word processor. Is networking still
achivable given this scenario?

It's many years since I tried it, but I did have two DOS based PCs
networked (for playing Doom <g>) and file transfers worked. I didn't look
into printing over the network.

A quick google suggests that this
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dosclien.htm might be of use to you. The bit
about netbeui sounds very familiar.

 

[zakezuke]

Many thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure that both PCs have available

PCI slots. However, the remote PC is running the word processor in pure DOS
mode. The PC with the printer attached is usually running Windows 98
normally, but it may be in pure DOS mode as well if the user is running the
same word processor. Is networking still achivable given this scenario?
Thanks again

Networking was supported in dos via Microsoft Network Client 3.0 , but
I honestly don't know the details off the top of my head. All you need
to know pretty much is on this site

http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/dosclnt3.htm
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/doscltcp.htm

Your choices for network adapters would be somewhat limited to ones
that come with dos support, a Network NE2000 compatable network adapter
IIRC, or anything that is on the list of adapters when you install
"Microsoft Network Client 3.0"

Printer support once installed I believe can be configured at the dos
command line
net use lpt1: \\remote-machine-name\remote-printer-name
or
net use lpt1: \\x.x.x.x\MyPrintername where x.x.x.x = the address you
assign to the machine that has the printer.

You'll have to type in that command each time unless you want it
persistent... if so "/Persistent:Yes" tacked at the end or just put the
netshare line in your autoexec.bat

I know jack squat about sharing a printer from dos, so it's best to
assume you can only use the network printer so long as win98 is
running, but if you plan to run the dos app on the system with a
printer without windows this shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[measekite]

<edit mine>

Public relations for whom?

DA POLLACK IS MATT ZAKOW*SKI*

 

[measekite]

I am beyond stupid.
Frank

FAR BEYOND

 

[measekite]

Many thanks for your reply. I'm pretty sure that both PCs have available
PCI slots. However, the remote PC is running the word processor in pure DOS
mode. The PC with the printer attached is usually running Windows 98
normally, but it may be in pure DOS mode as well if the user is running the
same word processor. Is networking still achivable given this scenario?
Thanks again.

 

[measekite]

Good advice Tony Da Tiger, thanks.