Print server help

[pete1229]

Does anyone know of a USB (1 or 2) print server that is compatible with both Windows 7 64bit and MAC OSX operating systems? I am trying to add my brothers HP 4315 USB printer to his home network where-in he has a MAC his wife and son both use Windows 7 64bit PC's. From the research I have done thus far there are not all that many print servers compatible with 7 64bit.

 

[DSF]

At my house we have the printer connected to my wife's Mac and I access the printer from my Vista computer over the network through the Mac's CUPS interface. No stand-alone print server needed.

Is that a setup that would work for your family?

 

[JackMDS]

The 3rd party USB Server is sort of a "Crap shot".

There is No standard and you never know what they will be compatible with.

Either do what DSF suggest in his post above, or spend a little more and get yourself a new Network ready AIO, there are many for less than $100.

 

[pete1229]

Thank you gentlemen for the feedback. I was hoping to set it up for him without the need for anyone of the printers, in this case the Mac, to be always on, I'll check out the CUPS or see if he wants to upgrade to a wifi printer.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If it's a wifi printer, it will probably share itself over the network.

I know for certain that the USB printer sharing thingy in an Apple Airport Base Station works fine with WinXP clients. (You have to install Bonjour for Windows. I haven't tried with newer Windows versions since I bought a proper networked printer with an ethernet port and everything.)

Most other USB print servers emulate Windows printer sharing, and Macs shouldn't have a problem with that either.

 

[Paperlantern]

A print server SHOULD simply assign an IP address to the printer, acting sort of like a tcp/ip to USB bridge, the platform you are printing from SHOULD be irrelevant as long as it can print to an ip printer port. Course I haven't used a print server since the old 10 base t jet direct cards that still had bnc connectors.

 

[pete1229]

The HP 4315 isn't a wifi printer so it cannot be connected to the network, Anyhow I solved the problem by downloading and installing Bonjour Print Services on all the windows pc's. The iMax needs to be powered up in order for them to access the printer but it was the least expensive (free) and most hassle free way to go. Thanks for the input.