What is a Print Server

[ATK]

I have a Vigor 2600 Router/Switch, into which my 3 printers and 4 computers
(XP PRO and W98SE) are connected direct. All have their own IP addresses and
File Sharing works perfectly.
However, the printers are a different problem and apparently can only be
used by all the computers thru "Sharing" which is no good.
Does this configuration constitute a Print Server for printing?
Help please.

 

[.]

I replied to your previous post with the way I had solved your problem in
the past. I'm no expert but I believe a print server is a computer that
handles all print traffic before it goes to the printer. For the most part
it stores the data until the printer can take the data to print. I think
it's really only necessary in a business where a great deal of printing is
done on a particular printer. Your computers could act as a server but you
don't want that because that particular computer would have to be on all the
time in order to print. I think if you set up your printers and printer
drivers as explained in my previous post, you'll get the results you're
looking for. Good luck.

Jim W.
http://www.gatorgrad.com

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have a Vigor 2600 Router/Switch, into which my 3 printers and 4 computers
(XP PRO and W98SE) are connected direct. All have their own IP addresses and
File Sharing works perfectly.
However, the printers are a different problem and apparently can only be
used by all the computers thru "Sharing" which is no good.
Does this configuration constitute a Print Server for printing?
Help please.

Yes, printers installed onto one computer and then "shared" would mean
that you've created a print server.

If print sharing isn't the route you want, why did you choose it? As
the printers are all connected to your router/switch (which is it, by
the way?), they obviously have network cards built-in. Why not install
them as local printers on the PCs by creating/adding a standard TCP/IP
port to each computer? (Although I don't recall if Win98 had this
capability.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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