sharing a printer over a network... Windows XP or a WiFi router with Print Server?

[Archman]

Hi,

I was wondering about sharing a printer over a home network and had a few questions.

I am setting up a home network for my brother and my nephew. There are two PCs and one Apple Powerbook. I have been toying with the notion of getting a decent wifi router and sharing the printer through the main PC, but have a question.

• If no one is signed on, but the Windows XP PC is on, will the printer still accept and print tasks?

• Does it matter which account someone signs into to share the printer on the network, if for example the Printer PC has a few accounts on it?

I was also thinking of just getting the D-Link Wireless 108G QoS DI-724U (that has a built-in print server). This is a little pricier, but no one will ever have to worry about making sure the main PC is on.

If the main Windows XP printer PC works, with no issues regarding which account is signed in on, then that's a simple solution.

I'd love to hear experiences or thoughts on this. Thank you

 

[Archman]

I think I am wondering if I set it up on one account on the XP machine, do I need to do the same setup on different accounts so that the printer is still shared out to the network? Or, once you share the printer out on the admin account, does it by default share it on all the other accounts in that machine?

 

[bruceb]

This is not as hard as you think it is. If you have printer with a Network Card and no Wireless
support built in, just connect it to a Port on the Router .. Router will assign it an IP and when
you install the Printer Software on each computer, read the steps carefully and the software
will locate the printer for you.

If you want to use a printer with a Wireless card built in then it is a bit more complex as
you must put the MAC Address of the Printer into the Router. On the router you also need to
assign a WPA/WEP Key for the printer. And on the Printer, you need to enter your Wireless Network SSID and WPA/WEP key

On each computer that will access the Wireless Printer, you need to put in the SSID of your network in the
Workgroup of the computer. Then install the software for the printer as above. I just did this for my HP7410
which is wireless thru a router and it works fine. Took less than 1/2 hr to set it all up

 

[realEZE]

Either way, I would avoid Windows Sharing.

If the printer has built-in NIC (wired or wireless) then just plug it in (or associate to your wilan) and you're set... DHCP and standard TCP printer ports FTW!

If you have USB, and a print server enabled router, then you are equally good to go.

I would avoid Windows Networking / Sharing for the following reasons:

1. No need to have extra PC on all the time.

2. Don't need to enable Windows Networking.

3. Any device on your can reach your printer. Doesn't need to speak Windows...

 

[Archman]

Thanks for the replies. I will go with a router with a built in print server 🙂

Cheers