Possible to share printer with macs on pc network?

[pcmax]

Client would like to share a printer shared on a PC network with a couple of macs (not sure what models or how old yet). Is it possible to do this without any extra software? They don't need to share files. Thanks.

Max

 

[DnetMHZ]

A little more info would be helpful.

What type of printer is it?
How is the printer shared (Print server, Shared from a PC, Built in NIC?)
I'm assuming your on a TCP/IP network or are the macs on Appletalk?

DnetMHZ

 

[daverji]

If you are using a printer that has its own printserver, it will be easier.
Make sure you have the correct PPD (aka Mac driver) for the printer, go to Chooser, Laserwriter 8, find the printer and set it up using it's correct PPD.
You can also setup using Desktop Printer Setup Utility?, enables to setup the printer via LPR using it's IP address, rather than Appletalk. Play around a bit.
If the printer is local to a specific box, you will have to enable print sharing and things will be a bit more trickier, but possible none the less.
Good luck.

 

[gaidin123]

It will depend on the printer model. It has to have Postscript or Postscript emulation (most modern HP printers) for it to work happily on most macs. The machine might need to have a standalone or internal print server like the HP 2100 or 4500/5000 series that supports Appletalk.

If you go to the Appletalk control panel on one of the macs, choose ethernet, save changes, open up the Chooser, click on the Laserwriter 8 icon on the lefthand side, a list of printers should pop up in the right hand pane. If the printer has never been given an appletalk name it will be called something generic like "HP Laserwriter 2100TN". Go to the manufacturer's site and download whater printer config utility they have to name and configure the printer if you somehow can't configure the appletalk settings from the printer or print server itself.

It should be possible if the printer has a mac driver.

Gaidin

edit: Are these macs using OS X or the Classic Mac OS? That will definitely change the steps you'll have to take.

 

[pcmax]

Thanks guys, I actually figured it out just playing with the appletalk stuff and making sure apple talk was enabled on the printer before I had a chance to read your posts. Only problem I had was that one of the macs (sorry didn't get model/OS version) has an ethernet card in it and shows lights when connected to the hub but there is no ethernet option in the appletalk or the TCP/IP configurations. Would this be an OS problem or the card?

 

[ChillX]

pcmax, it's probably a fact of not having the driver for the card installed.
It needs drivers just like a PC does. Although it's usually an extension that gets installed when the OS is installed.
If it's an Apple card, you probably need to go to whatever OS CD you're using and find the extension for that type of card. If it's a 3rd party card, which is likely since you say it's a card (and not built-in), you may have to go download it or find the disk that came with it.