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Quick USB Hub question

Maleficus

Maleficus

Diamond Member
If I have 2 computers and 1 printer hooked up through a USB hub, would both computers be able to access the printer?

All of my computers are spread out everywhere and 1 isn't networked to the rest so please spare the alternatives and right way to network the printer/share it, thanks.
 
Get a wireless router and build your network that way to include the printer. That is what I have - 3 computers and 2 printers all on the network via a Netgear wireless router. Works for me.
 
I think the question is that the printer is connected to the hub, and that connection is split among 2 computers. Would it work? I'm considering trying the same thing.
 
Originally posted by: whitelight
I think the question is that the printer is connected to the hub, and that connection is split among 2 computers. Would it work? I'm considering trying the same thing.
Click to expand...

...maybe. I'm not sure how well the printer would like being 'attached' to two PCs at once via USB. Networkable printers have a TCP/IP print server built in that can handle spooling jobs from multiple clients (and doing printer sharing through Windows basically sets one of these up on the PC hosting the printer). This printer probably doesn't have that.

My WAG: I give about a 60% chance that it will work as long as only one PC tries to access the printer at once, 30% that it will work for one PC and not the other, and about 10% that it won't work at all.

A more reliable solution is to hook up the printer directly to one PC, network the PCs via Ethernet or 802.11 (or even USB), and use Printer Sharing on the first PC to make the printer accessible over the network. The only downside is that you can only print while the first PC is turned on.
 
Hub no - router, yes. Hub provides open access to all lines at the same time. That would not be good for the printer. Think local network.
 
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