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Networking noob questions

Amused

Amused

Elite Member
Hi,

I have two desktops, two laptops and an HP 970c printer.

I want to connect both desktops via RJ45 to the wireless router and do the laptops wireless. I also want all computers to be able to send print jobs to the printer. The printer needs to be connected bi-directionally.

Here is my plan. Can you tell me if it's right?

SMC 7004AWBR BARRICADE WIRELESS 4-PORT CABLE / DSL ROUTER WITH PRINT SERVER
2x ORINOCO WIRELESS GOLD PC CARDS
some cat5 cables.

Now I understand that the SMC can't do bi-directional printing. The D-Link 713P has the same guts as the SMC, but claims to be able to do bi-directional printing. Is the D-Link a good idea?

Or should I buy the SMC and add a separate print server? If so, which one is flawless with HP's finicky bi-directional printing?

Also, I do a bit of CS and TFC online gaming. Would it be better if I run my gaming machine through a hub and directly to the cable modem instead of through the router?

Thanks 🙂
 
Can't help you on the bidrectional printing thingy, but I have a HP1600C with an built in JetDirect Printserver, and that's bidirectional, at least, that's what the printer's telling me.

About online gaming, you should not have any problems, if the routerfirewall allows you to open certain ports that are needed for the games, or even setting up a DMZ, a Demilitarized Zone. The pc's in a DMZ are exposed 'directly' to the net while keeping it's own internal IP.
 
<< I have two desktops, two laptops and an HP 970c printer. >>

If it were my dime, I would set the printer up on one machine and share it, then have all the other machine print to the queue on that machine. It will work with a 970c no problem, and you will save yourself some money because you won't have to buy a seperate print server.

If you have all 98, or all 2k, this would be really simple.

 


<< Now I understand that the SMC can't do bi-directional printing. The D-Link 713P has the same guts as the SMC, but claims to be able to do bi-directional printing. Is the D-Link a good idea? >>



How do you know this?



<< Or should I buy the SMC and add a separate print server? If so, which one is flawless with HP's finicky bi-directional printing? >>



Hawking makes an inexpensive single port print server ($70) bought the other day, I think has this capability.



<< I do a bit of CS and TFC online gaming. Would it be better if I run my gaming machine through a hub and directly to the cable modem instead of through the router? >>



This method won't do anything, unless you've been given 2 ip addresses. If you really want to do this, you'll need to disconnect the CS and TFC machine from the network, disable the router and assign the IP address (or do the DHCP settings) on the TFC/CS machine. Which IMHO is a pain in the ass.

You need the router to share the connection there's no real way of getting around this. Removing a machine from the router and connecting it directly to the hub that connects to a cable modem will do nothing.
 


<<

<< Now I understand that the SMC can't do bi-directional printing. The D-Link 713P has the same guts as the SMC, but claims to be able to do bi-directional printing. Is the D-Link a good idea? >>



How do you know this? >>



Practicallynetworked.com told me so. They said the SM<C was not bi-directional at all. But they also said the D-Link was "not completely bi-directional."
 


<< << I have two desktops, two laptops and an HP 970c printer. >>

If it were my dime, I would set the printer up on one machine and share it, then have all the other machine print to the queue on that machine. It will work with a 970c no problem, and you will save yourself some money because you won't have to buy a seperate print server.

If you have all 98, or all 2k, this would be really simple. >>



I have 2 XP pro machines (laptop and desktop), 1 2K machine(laptop) and a 98SE machine (desktop). Will it be hard to do with them having different OSes?

Is it easy in XP too? I've heard of print sharing, but have no idea how it's done.
 


<< I have 2 XP pro machines (laptop and desktop), 1 2K machine(laptop) and a 98SE machine (desktop). Will it be hard to do with them having different OSes?

Is it easy in XP too? I've heard of print sharing, but have no idea how it's done. >>



I checked the Hawking print server... and it does have bi-directional capabilities... and the thing is tiny.

I would stick with the idea of a print server instead of doing the print sharing (enable netbeui on both and then enable file/print sharing and you'll have no problem) because both systems will need to be on if you want to print from the machine that doesn't have the printer... which i'm sure you can see is pretty obvious anyways.

With this print server... you can assign it another internal IP address and have everything print from the printer.

This is the setup i'm going to have completed with my NEC 870 by tomorrow.
 

you really should look into that hawking print server... I just got it up and running today... it took me about 5 mins from file copy to server setup... and it works great.

print server
 
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