Advantages of a network printer?

[Perryg114]

What is the advantage of having a printer hooked directly to my network when I already have network access through the computer it is hooked to? For some reason it does not make sense to put in a switch at the computer just so I can hook the printer to the network directly instead of just using the USB connection between the computer and the printer. I guess if I were in a big office this might make sense but for home use it does not seem like networking the printer directly has an advantage. Am I missing something here?

Perry

 

[tomt4535]

The biggest advantage is that the network printer is always on and connected. If you connect a usb cable to the printer and the PC next to it and share that, the computer has to be on for another computer on your network to print. It really depends on how much that other computer is used, and if you care about leaving it on all the time. Although a switch is a simple idea, there are wireless printers out there and even a wireless bridge should work too.

 

[Ratman6161]

What is the advantage of having a printer hooked directly to my network when I already have network access through the computer it is hooked to? For some reason it does not make sense to put in a switch at the computer just so I can hook the printer to the network directly instead of just using the USB connection between the computer and the printer. I guess if I were in a big office this might make sense but for home use it does not seem like networking the printer directly has an advantage. Am I missing something here?

Perry

For home use, the purpose of networking the printer is so that there doesn't need to be a computer running to get at the printer. For example say you have a desktop system with the printer sitting next to it, but you also use your laptop via wireless from other parts of the house. If you are sitting in the living room with the laptop and want to print something, you don't want to have to go to the desktop to turn it on first to provide access to the printer. Then again if the desktop is always on, then you wouln'd have to worry.

 

[spidey07]

Another huge advantage is you don't have to deal with the nightmare of windows networking/browsing and "why can't I see the computer/printer!"

 

[JackMDS]

I have a Wireless Multifunction Printer that is connected to the Network.

It just sit there, On all the time. If it does not work for few minutes it goes to sleep. When at sleep, it takes 1 or 2 watts to keep the wireless listening.

When any computer on the Network prints, it auto. awakes the printer, the printer prints and goes to sleep again when done.

Wireless MFC are available from $100.

 

[Red Squirrel]

The advantage is central management. No need to figure out if a printing issue is because of a PC, you just need to look either at the print server or the printer itself.

In a home environment it's less of an issue, but in even a small business environment or big environment, you really want to avoid printer shares. Even office printers that are only used by one person should go through the print server. You never know when some other person decides they want to print to it to, then it's just the thing of adding the queue to their pc.

 

[tonyyy]

I don't have to hear it print or have people come into my room/office to get a document they printed.

 

[Perryg114]

Well for now the computer and the printer is on is always on and the only thing that will print to it would be laptops. Unless I move the printer away from the computer it is hooked to I think the USB connection is fine.

Perry

 

[Wuzup101]

Well for now the computer and the printer is on is always on and the only thing that will print to it would be laptops. Unless I move the printer away from the computer it is hooked to I think the USB connection is fine.

Perry

Well then for your situation you are fine.

Like others have mentioned, the big bonus is not having to deal with a host computer to print (and have that host computer on 24/7). We personally have a printer wired to a DD-WRT powered WRT54G that is being used in client/bridge mode. Works great... and allows us to print from any of the 4 laptops in the house (along with 2 desktops that are in different rooms).

 

[cuti7399]

what if the computer attached to the printer is down?
if the printer is networked, then you would not have to worry about that! Just my thought!

 

[Perryg114]

Well I am finding that I can't print to that HP6500 with my new Win 7 64 bit laptop. All the drivers installed ok but it would not print to the printer on an XP 32bit machine. It would not even print a test page from the laptop. Is this a 64 bit problem? Now maybe if I had it installed on the network then the 32bit versus 64bit would not be an issue.

Perry

 

[imagoon]

Well I am finding that I can't print to that HP6500 with my new Win 7 64 bit laptop. All the drivers installed ok but it would not print to the printer on an XP 32bit machine. It would not even print a test page from the laptop. Is this a 64 bit problem? Now maybe if I had it installed on the network then the 32bit versus 64bit would not be an issue.

Perry

Yup, often the 64 bit Vista / 7 drivers will fail to communicate with the XP 32bit ones on the XP machine. This is one of the advantages of the network module, it no longer matters. Some drivers will work, some won't it is hit and miss.

 

[ViviTheMage]

The big thing for me was having 1 PC, 1 server, and 2 laptops, we didn't have to leave the printer plugged into one PC, so that it would serve out the spooling/printer.

Makes life easier going direct.

Also drivers are easier when you direct connect, instead of through a PC.

 

[spidey07]

In this day and age there really is no reason to not have a network printer, none. The advantages are too big and the cons against not having one are overwhelming.

 

[Perryg114]

Ok Well I am finding out the hard way the advantages of having a network printer. The main one being that I could not print from my Win 7 64 bit laptops to my printer that was hosted on a Win XP 32 bit machine. So what I ended up doing is putting one of my GS105 switches at my wife's desktop computer so I could split the connection to her computer and the printer. She can also hook her laptop to the switch to back it up to the server or download lots of data. The gigabit switch is overkill but it got the job done. I think both the new laptops are gigabit so having a switch that is easy to get to might be a good thing.

Perry